AUCKLAND, New Zealand — World No. 8 Ben Shelton “shaked off the rust” on Wednesday with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Francisco Comesana in his first match of 2026 at an ATP Tour occasion in Auckland, New Zealand.
As the highest seed, the American earned a first-round bye within the ATP 250 match, which he has chosen to begin the season for the previous 4 years.
Along with her coach and father, Brian Shelton, and her companion, U.S. ladies’s soccer star Trinity Rodman, courtside, Shelton saved a set level within the first set and defeated the 68th-ranked Argentine in an hour and 42 minutes.
Shelton hit 12 aces and gained 78 % of his first serve factors, however his sport has proven indicators of sluggishness of late.
“I really feel nice, I am feeling slightly rusty, however it feels nice to be again taking part in and competing,” Shelton stated. “I believe it’s nice to play a aggressive sport and really feel nervous at sure factors within the sport after which clearly get a win and get an opportunity to play once more.”
Shelton confronted a break level in his first service sport as he tried to get right into a rhythm and attacked a brief return to again up his first serve. He initially discovered it tough to interrupt Komesana’s serve. The Argentine had set level at 5-4, however with Shelton on web and his backcourt open, he overhit his backhand down the road.
That was his final likelihood. Shelton held on to interrupt Komesana at 6-5 and held to take the set in 1 hour and 29 minutes. He then broke Komesana once more within the first sport of the second set, making the break and clinching the match.
The ATP Auckland occasion is a tune-up occasion for the Australian Open, which begins in Melbourne on Sunday.
