Ben Shelton collapses after five-set thriller as Iga Swiatek advances to next round

Fourth seed Ben Shelton crashed out in the first round of Wimbledon after Finland’s Otto Virtanen claimed the biggest win of his career in a thrilling five-set thriller on Tuesday. The American ran out of steam in the closing stages as the world No.140 overcame a thrilling tiebreak in the deciding set to seal a memorable 4-6, 6-3, 7(10)-6(8), 2-6, 7-6(11-9) victory.

Meanwhile, defending champion Iga Swiatek survived a major scare to defend her title alive as she battled American Taylor Townsend 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 to book a place in the second round.

Wimbledon 202 Day 2: Update

Virtanen matched Shelton shot after shot during a high-quality match and looked like a fresher player as the match progressed. The Finn dictated play with aggressive baseline hitting, especially in the fourth set, while Shelton struggled to maintain the intensity. Even after a costly double fault, Virtanen strongly responded to hold serve and remained balanced in a tense tiebreak of the fifth set, which alternated with minibreaks.

Shelton moved to 8-5 after a backhand winner and a Virtanen error, but the Finn came back to level at 8-8 after a series of sharp volleys and unforced errors. Shelton then earned match point after a long rally, but back-to-back errors at the crucial moment allowed Virtanen to complete the comeback and seal a major upset. Virtanen shocks Shelton in the first round (Photo Reuters)

The emotional 24-year-old could hardly believe what he had achieved after knocking out the world No.5. “I don’t know if I have a heart anymore. It probably bounced off my body, but I’m here. I played until the last minute because of all of you,” Virtanen said during his on-court interview.

When asked where such performance came from, the Finn credited his recent form on grass. “I’ve had a great month before this. I’ve played a lot of matches on grass and I’ve always enjoyed playing here. Unfortunately I missed it last year due to injury, but I had a great time here two years ago. It feels so good to be back.”

SWIATEK HAS TROUBLE INTO ROUND 2

While Virtanen celebrated a career-defining victory, Swiatek was forced to overcome one of her toughest opening tests in years.

The six-time Grand Slam champion looked in complete control after cruising through the opening set, breaking Townsend’s serve twice and sealing it with a crisp forehand winner. But the momentum changed dramatically in the second set as Swiatek’s usually reliable forehand deserted her. Townsend, ranked 79, took advantage, breaking serve twice before leveling the match with a superb backhand drop volley followed by an ace.

The deciding set threatened to unravel for Swiatek as she made three double faults in a marathon opening serve that lasted 21 minutes and featured 10 deuces. However, she survived the scare, a moment that proved to be the turning point of the match. Swiatek managed to survive Townsend’s threat in the first round (Photo Reuters)

“Sometimes it can be hard to serve the ball, so this game was definitely about believing that I could do it because it was long and there were a lot of break points,” Swiatek said. “At the end, I’m glad I kept my composure. I know I needed to be firm, not look for winners or serves that would give me a free point, and play safer to have a chance in the rally.”

With renewed confidence, Swiatek gradually reduced her errors and after the two players exchanged breaks, the Pole sealed victory with an ace before covering her face with a towel and fighting back tears.

“I’m happy that I was able to come through a match like that because I was quite tense in the second set and I was able to get back to my game,” she said. “When there are ups and downs, it’s time to see how much you can change things. I feel pretty good about my game – it’s just a matter of consistency.”

OTHER RESULTS

Elsewhere, 2022 champion Elena Rybakina beat France’s Lois Boisson 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 to reach the second round, while fifth seed Alex de Minaur eased past Argentina’s Roman Andres Burruchaga 7-6(5), 6-1, 6-0. Last year’s runner-up Amanda Anisimova also advanced comfortably with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Lina Gjorcheska of North Macedonia.

– The end

Published on:

30 Jun 2026 10:28 IST