Shevchenko Upsets Shelton at Miami Open, Zverev Cruises to Victory

Alexander Shevchenko continued his impressive run at the Miami Open presented by Itaú, upsetting American Ben Shelton in a three-set thriller on Saturday night. Meanwhile, third seed Alexander Zverev enjoyed a comfortable victory over Martin Damm to open his campaign.

Shevchenko Stuns Shelton in Comeback Victory

Kazakhstani player Alexander Shevchenko defeated Ben Shelton 6-7(3), 7-6(3), 6-3, marking his third Top 10 win. The victory came at the expense of Shelton, who has now fallen to 1-4 at the Miami Open, the tournament in his adopted home state of Florida. This defeat represents Shelton’s worst loss by PIF ATP Ranking since falling to Coleman Wong last year in Miami.

Shevchenko’s previous Top 10 wins include victories over Taylor Fritz in Basel (2023) and Holger Rune in Rotterdam (2024). He is now through to the third round of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the fourth time in his career, having previously reached that stage in Madrid and Rome in 2023, and Shanghai in 2024.

“It takes 100 per cent to stay in the match all the time against these kind of players,” Shevchenko said after the match. “There was a moment that I was feeling a little bit tired, but as soon as I got the momentum back, I was bringing the energy back.”

Despite facing a challenging second set, Shevchenko rallied, utilizing aggressive baseline cuts to overcome Shelton’s powerful game. He capitalized on his opportunity in the second game of the final set, taking control of the rallies and forcing Shelton into errors.

Shevchenko will next face 31st seed Ugo Humbert, who defeated Gabriel Diallo 6-1, 6-4 earlier on Saturday.

Zverev Eases Past Damm

Alexander Zverev secured a dominant 6-2, 6-4 victory over wild card Martin Damm, making a smooth start to his Miami Open campaign. This win extended Zverev’s record to 103 ATP Masters 1000 wins this decade and his win streak against players outside the Top 100 to 15 matches. It also improved his record against left-handed players to 40-1 since Roland Garros 2023.

“He’s somebody that’s extremely dangerous, has a massive serve, massive game,” Zverev commented after the match. “I’m happy with the match, happy with my level, and looking forward to what’s ahead.”

With 20 wins in Miami (20-10), Zverev aims to surpass his 2018 run to the final. He will next face Marin Cilic, who upset 27th seed Brandon Nakashima 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(7).