Ben Shelton Advances at Wimbledon, Eyes Centre Court

WIMBLEDON, England — American tennis player Ben Shelton won his third-round match at Wimbledon on Saturday, defeating Marton Fucsovics in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2. The victory secured Shelton a spot in the round of 16 for the second year in a row.

The 22-year-old Shelton has made significant strides in his career, recently reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open and the fourth round at the French Open. He is now the youngest American man to reach three major round-of-16 appearances in a year since 2004, shortly after his own 22nd birthday.

Shelton is one of only two American men remaining in the tournament, joining Taylor Fritz in the draw. Both players are on opposite sides of the bracket, with Fritz set to play Australia’s Alex de Minaur on Sunday for a chance at the fourth round.

“I had a lot of fun,” Shelton said after his match. “It’s always special playing here at Wimbledon. Court 1 is a special court.” He expressed his hope to one day play on Centre Court, calling it a dream.

Over three matches at this year’s All England Club, Shelton has spent a total of 6 hours and 41 minutes on court. His next opponent, Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego, has been on court slightly less, totaling 5 hours and 4 minutes. The two last played at the French Open, where Shelton emerged victorious after a five-set battle.

In other notable matches, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner swept Pedro Martinez 6-1, 6-3, 6-1, advancing to the fourth round without dropping a set. Sinner remarked on his strong performance, attributing his success to consistent service games. He will next face Grigor Dimitrov, who won his 100th major match.