Toronto: Ben Shelton earned his first career win over gritty Frenchman Adrian Mannarino on Wednesday, posting a 6-2, 6-3 victory to earn a third-round spot at the ATP Toronto Masters. The American fourth seed came to the court with a pair of losses against 37-year-old qualifier Mannarino, but said he was able to vary his serve to get over the line for a welcome first victory in the series.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Shelton described the win as significant, noting Mannarino’s ability to dominate play. “This win was huge for me. He’s a shotmaker, he can take the racquet out of your hands,” Shelton said after his 56-minute win. He acknowledged the challenges Mannarino posed in previous matches and expressed satisfaction with his performance in this encounter.
Shelton managed to break twice to secure the opening set and maintained his lead to reach a 5-3 advantage in the second set. Despite a tense moment when he double-faulted in the final game, Shelton saved the break point and sealed the victory with a 16th ace, followed by a service winner on match point. Reflecting on Mannarino’s skills, Shelton praised his opponent’s return game and expressed contentment with his own serving strategy.
In other matches, Andrey Rublev, runner-up in Canada a year ago, achieved his 250th career win on hardcourt by defeating France’s Hugo Gaston 6-2, 6-3. The sixth seed progressed after 86 minutes and is set to face Italian Lorenzo Sonego, who defeated China’s Bu Yunchaokete 6-1, 6-4. Meanwhile, Wimbledon quarter-finalist Flavio Cobolli of Italy ended a rain-interrupted match with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Canadian Alexis Galarneau, while Canadian Gabriele Diallo triumphed over Italian Matteo Gigante with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) win.