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Ben Shelton Survives Washington Scare as Venus Williams Exits and Cruz Hewitt Makes History

Posted : 29 July 2026

Ben Shelton overcame a stern challenge from fellow American Martin Damm to reach the second round of the Washington Open after a rain-interrupted contest on Tuesday. The world No. 8 secured a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory in his first hard-court match leading into the US Open, showing resilience after losing momentum following a delay of more than two hours.

Shelton appeared in control before the weather suspension, leading by a set and a break. However, Damm returned with renewed energy, forcing a deciding set after breaking the second seed late in the second. Shelton responded by producing the decisive break at 5-4 in the final set to seal victory after just over two hours of play. The American later praised his mental toughness, admitting the interruption made the match far more difficult than expected.

The 23-year-old, who has already lifted ATP titles in Dallas, Munich and Stuttgart this season, will now face France's Ugo Humbert as he continues his preparations for the year's final Grand Slam.

Elsewhere, seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams suffered another disappointing result as Austria's Anastasia Potapova defeated the 46-year-old 6-3, 6-3 in the opening round. The defeat extended Williams' losing streak on the WTA Tour, with her last singles victory coming at the Washington Open a year ago.

One of the standout stories of the day came from 17-year-old Cruz Hewitt, who claimed the first ATP Tour main-draw victory of his career. The Australian teenager, son of former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, defeated American qualifier Marcos Giron 6-3, 6-4 in an impressive performance and described the milestone as a special moment, particularly at a tournament his father once won.

In the women's draw, rising Filipino star Alexandra Eala continued her breakthrough season with a comeback victory over China's Zheng Qinwen. After dropping the opening set, Eala fought back to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 and book a second-round clash against defending champion Leylah Fernandez for a place in the quarter-finals.

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