Shelton digs deep to win in Washington as Venus falls, Cruz Hewitt picks up first win

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shelton-ben/QNuG0Gzb/"]Shelton[/a] struggled when the match resumed after a delay of more than two hours, but came through [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/damm-m-vX7WOXtP/shelton-b-QNuG0Gzb/?mid=8MUWnLAE"]6-4, 4-6, 6-4[/a] against his American compatriot in his first hardcourt match ahead of the US Open.[/p][p]"[b]Happy that I was mentally stable and tough enough to get through that match,[/b]" said the 23-year-old left-hander, who is seeking his fourth ATP tour title of the year after triumphing in Dallas, Munich and Stuttgart.[/p][p]Shelton, the world number eight, next faces French left-hander [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/humbert-ugo/O4ywE5Ah/"]Ugo Humbert[/a] for a quarter-final berth.[/p][embed guid="7441ac2e-bae9-481a-9d03-158101eb3aee" url="https://x.com/TennisTV/status/2082268203959406760?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Shelton led 6-4, 4-3 when play was halted, then saw [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/damm-martin-2003/vX7WOXtP/"]Damm[/a] hold, break on a long forehand and hold again to force a third set.[/p][p]After trading breaks in the third and fourth games, Shelton broke on a backhand crosscourt volley winner at 5-4 to settle matters after 2hr 9min.[/p][p]"[b]A tricky match to be in command, in the driver's seat of the match and feel like playing really well, then have a rain delay, and the guy come out on fire[/b]," Shelton said.[/p][p]"[b]That was tough to swallow losing that second set the way I did, but happy with the way I fought.[/b]"[/p][p]Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/williams-venus/M7dojKaa/"]Williams[/a], 46, suffered her 12th consecutive defeat, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/potapova-a-x81l09qG/williams-v-M7dojKaa/?mid=GbdyEVQk"]6-3, 6-3,[/a] to Austria's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/potapova-anastasia/x81l09qG/"]Anastasia Potapova[/a] in a first-round match.[/p][embed guid="15400efa-935d-4b64-8511-fe69848e97fd" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHM9qmelvyg" social-type="youtube" /][p]Williams has not won a WTA match since a first-round triumph over American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stearns-peyton/YsJXLo1O/"]Peyton Stearns[/a] in Washington last year.[/p][h2]Lleyton Hewitt's son picks up first ATP win[/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hewitt-cruz/pOQrEMUs/"]Cruz Hewitt[/a], the 17-year-old son of former world number one Lleyton Hewitt, captured his first ATP Tour victory.[/p][p]The Aussie teen, ranked 612th in the world, ousted fellow qualifier [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/giron-marcos/OWOgryOk/"]Marcos Giron[/a] of the United States [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/giron-m-OWOgryOk/hewitt-c-pOQrEMUs/?mid=j3kaYLeL"]6-3, 6-4[/a] in 74 minutes in his ATP main draw debut.[/p][p]Among his father's 30 career ATP titles was the 2004 Washington crown, four years before Cruz was born.[/p][p][b]"It's a pretty special moment," [/b]Hewitt said.[/p][p][b]"Seeing my dad play this tournament and to get my first tour win, it feels really cool."[/b][/p][p]Hewitt will next play the winner of a match postponed to Wednesday between Greek [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tsitsipas-stefanos/hb6oWfc6/"]Stefanos Tsitsipas[/a] and Australian newlywed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-minaur-alex/EZgZ9Xfh/"]Alex de Minaur[/a], the top seed and defending champion.[/p][embed guid="c674a20c-ec5d-4859-8a07-dde4381e602b" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twVxGhX3-5k" social-type="youtube" /][p]Hewitt copied a celebration from his father after the victory, holding up his bent right arm with his hand curled back toward him.[/p][p][b]"He just always did it, and when I was little I've just always seen it,"[/b] Hewitt said. "It's cool to be able to do that now because obviously my dad has been a huge part of where I am today."[/p][p]Hewitt was uncertain he could copy his father, who won his first ATP match at Adelaide in 1998 on the way to his first tour title.[/p][p][b]"I'll try my best,"[/b] he said. [b]"I'm just playing one match at a time."[/b][/p][p]Hewitt saw his father's name on the ring of champions at centre court during his qualifying wins.[/p][p]"It's very surreal," he said. [b]"Pretty special to play my first two qualies matches on centre court and my dad's name being in the back. Kind of inspirational to look up at it as well. Super special to be back here."[/b][/p][p]Hewitt became familiar with ATP events while being at them with his father but said they have a different and special feel now.[/p][p][b]"Trying to forge my own path, use what advice my dad has from his experience, which I think helps a lot," [/b]Hewitt said.[/p][p]"I do feel pretty comfortable being at the tournaments. It's pretty exciting because I've dreamed of playing at these tournaments, and I've seen behind the scenes, and to be in the gym and the locker room with these guys, it's pretty cool."[/p][image alt="Match overview" id="b3cb79bc-64ef-42a2-a6b5-302f67e4703b" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="45feabf6-1b6e-4d75-a2cf-398e56a9ce7d" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]Elsewhere, France's 47th-ranked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mannarino-adrian/fLOdtByM/"]Adrian Mannarino[/a] eliminated American fifth seed Learner Tien [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/mannarino-a-fLOdtByM/tien-l-xUHOBJK6/?mid=ldxc2vRp"]7-5, 6-4[/a] to book a second-round match against American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/michelsen-alex/nDIhfm9l/"]Alex Michelsen[/a], who ousted US lucky loser [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcdonald-mackenzie/WWi3O0v6/"]Mackenzie McDonald[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/mcdonald-m-WWi3O0v6/michelsen-a-nDIhfm9l/?mid=08yNMGb4"]6-4, 7-5[/a].[/p][p]French eighth seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arthur-fils/IoIhUqIN/"]Arthur Fils[/a] was defeated, falling to Spain's 19-year-old [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jodar-rafael/OdngshVK/"]Rafael Jodar[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/arthur-f-IoIhUqIN/jodar-r-OdngshVK/?mid=QVj3D4Zo"]7-6 (5), 6-3[/a]. The Spaniard reached a second-round match against Japan's 36-year-old [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nishikori-kei/YNkOjUIB/"]Kei Nishikori[/a].[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/tennis/atp-singles/washington/"]Follow the men's side in Washington here.[/a][/b][/p][h2]Eala downs Zheng to advance[/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eala-alexandra/ppu9X7PH/"]Alexandra Eala[/a], who made global headlines when beating Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon and becoming the first Filipino player to reach the last 16 of a Grand Slam, rallied to defeat China's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zheng-qinwen/xCyEhjAS/"]Zheng Qinwen[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/eala-a-ppu9X7PH/zheng-q-xCyEhjAS/?mid=OOaqC9e2"]4-6, 6-4, 6-1[/a] after two hours and 26 minutes.[/p][p]Eala, ranked 28th, was down a set and a break but broke six times in all to oust the reigning Olympic champion.[/p][embed guid="dc13dbea-18d2-4730-8a22-1f1d54b28cba" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z06v_b8bIM&pp=ygUDd3Rh" social-type="youtube" /][p]Eala will play for a quarter-final berth against seventh-seeded defending champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fernandez-leylah-annie/8EI3pJOd/"]Leylah Fernandez[/a] of Canada.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/tennis/wta-singles/washington/"]Follow the women's side in Washington here.[/a][/b][/p]