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Shelton ends losing run to book Auckland quarter-final place

AFP
Updated
Ben Shelton won his first match at the Auckland Classic against Hungary's Fabian Marozsan
Ben Shelton won his first match at the Auckland Classic against Hungary's Fabian MarozsanAFP
Top seed Ben Shelton got his Australian Open preparations back on track Wednesday with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Hungary's Fabian Marozsan at the Auckland Classic, having suffered a series of first-round defeats in earlier tournaments.

The American world number 16 reached the quarter-final 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 in Brisbane.

"It was definitely a tough match playing against Fabian," said Shelton, who had received a first-round bye, after getting past the world number 65 in 71 minutes.

"I had a tough win against him last year at a Challenger tournament. So really cool to have a match-up 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 Thursday against Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena, who beat Austrian seventh seed Sebastian Ofner 7-5, 6-3, one of several seeds to tumble out on Wednesday.

Third-seed Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina was thrashed 6-1, 6-1 by France's Alexandre Muller and eighth-seeded Australian Max Purcell lost 6-2, 6-4 to Japan's Taro Daniel.

Fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada lost his first singles match of the year 7-6(9), 7-5 to German Daniel Altmaier.

Second-seeded Briton Cameron Norrie survived a scare from French teenager Luca Van Assche, winning 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-1.

Norrie's quarter-final will be against Chilean qualifier Alejandro Tabilo, who got past Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 7-5, 6-3.

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