SHELTON HAVING A BLAST IN AUCKLAND
The Straits Times|January 11, 2024
American rediscovers form to advance to q-finals; Pegula digs deep to defeat Pera
SHELTON HAVING A BLAST IN AUCKLAND

Top seed Ben Shelton got his Australian Open preparations back on track with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Hungary's Fabian Marozsan at the Auckland Classic on Jan 10, having suffered a series of first-round defeats in earlier tournaments.

The American world No. 16 reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, the last four at the US Open and secured a first ATP title in Tokyo in his first full season on tour in 2023.

But the 21-year-old ended his campaign with first-round exits in Vienna and Paris, before another first-up loss last week at the Brisbane International.

"It was definitely a tough match playing against Fabian," said Shelton after getting past the world No. 61 in 71 minutes.

"I had a tough win against him last year at a Challenger tournament. So really cool to have a match first against him, he's a great player. It was a fun match, but happy to get through it." Shelton, who sent down 10 aces, faces a quarter-final on Jan 11 against Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena, who beat Austrian seventh seed Sebastian Ofner 7-5, 6-3, one of four seeds to tumble out on Jan 10.

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