Fourth seed loses Wimbledon first-round match in five-set tiebreak

Ben Shelton lost his Wimbledon first-round match to Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen in a fifth-set tiebreak, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(8), 6-2, 7-6 (11-9). The contest lasted more than four hours. The fourth seed had arrived at the tournament ranked fifth in the world after winning the Stuttgart warm-up event. Shelton had been viewed as a contender for the title or at least a first grand-slam final.

Match details Shelton said the defeat ranked among the toughest losses of his career. He stated he did not play a poor match and that points simply did not go his way. The American added that he had been off on serve and had to grind through many games while Virtanen played well from the baseline. Shelton noted he had three break-point opportunities at 15-40 in the deciding set.

Shelton comments on draw Shelton denied that knowledge of the draw influenced his performance. He said he focuses only on the first-round opponent and does not examine later paths. Qualifier Virtanen, who had reached two Challenger finals on grass before Wimbledon, will next face British wildcard Arthur Fery.