Ben Shelton knocks Chris O’Connell out of Australian Open

One of the Open’s biggest entertainers has extended an olive branch to Aussie fans after playing party-pooper on John Cain Arena.

Chris O’Connell pushed freewheeling American star Ben Shelton to his physical limit but was overpowered before he could drag the match into a fifth set as he made a second-round exit at Melbourne Park.

The Aussie world No. 68 mounted a strong fightback after losing the first two sets but the 16th seed held his nerve despite blowing three match points to win 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5) via a fourth set tie-break.

Shelton, 21, was clinical early but his impatience may have allowed O’Connell back into the match as he threw caution to the wind in a frantic third set where he continually approached the net.

The 2023 quarter-finalist won only two-thirds of his points at the net as O’Connell picked his moments better, winning rallies on 85 per cent of his own approaches as he took the set 6-3 and pushed the match deep into the fourth.

Chris O’Connell has been knocked out of the Australian Open in the second round by US 16th seed Ben Shelton. Picture: Kelly Defina / Getty Images

But the 29-year-old Sydneysider could not force his second consecutive five-set match after he toppled Chilean Cristian Garin on Monday to reach the second round at Melbourne Park for a third time.

His shirt completely drenched with sweat, Shelton won two match points at 5-4 but had to fight for another 15 minutes to seal his passage into the third round, where he will meet the winner of 20th seed Adrian Mannarino and Spanish world No. 82 Jaume Munar.

O’Connell’s defeat brought an end to a three-match Aussie winning streak on John Cain Arena after Thanasi Kokkinakis, Ajla Tomljanovic and Storm Hunter all claimed final-set victories cheered on by a raucous home crowd.

Shelton said he loved the challenge of playing in front of the one-sided crowd.

Shelton is through to the third round despite a hot-and-cold performance on John Cain Arena against Chris O’Connell. Picture: Kelly Defina / Getty Images

“(I’m) really happy to have closed that match out, it was a tough one today against a guy who definitely had the home crowd support,” he said on court.

“The ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie’ chant … I hear it when I sleep at night, but I love the way you guys support your guys here in Australia, you do it right.

“I love being out here and I think college tennis has somewhat of a hostile environment … this is much less hostile, but they definitely have the rowdiness.”

Shelton praised O’Connell’s “tough” qualities as he said he felt the need to try and come to the net more to negate him as the match went on.

“I was trying to come forward a little bit more and work on serving and volleying,” he said.

“He’s been playing well the second half of last season, I’ve seen him winning so many matches.

“A tough guy, and I know I’m going to see him deep in a lot of tournaments for the rest of this year.”

Originally published as Ben Shelton knocks Chris O’Connell out of Australian Open