Shelton Stumbles in Geneva, Roland Garros Hopes Dented

Ben Shelton's Roland Garros preparations suffered a setback as he bowed out of the Gonet Geneva Open in the second round, succumbing to a 4-6, 7-6 (1), 6-2 defeat against Flavio Cobolli.

Shelton, seeded fourth, had hoped to build on his impressive clay-court form this season, which included a title in Houston and third-round appearances in Madrid and Rome. However, Cobolli, ranked 22nd, proved too strong, rallying from a set and a break down to secure his third ATP quarterfinal of the year.

The American started brightly, breaking Cobolli's serve in the opening set and serving it out comfortably. He carried that momentum into the second set, breaking again and taking a 4-2 lead. But Cobolli refused to be deterred, breaking back in the eighth game and forcing a tiebreaker.

In a stunning reversal, Cobolli dominated the tiebreaker, winning it 7-1 and leveling the match. The Italian continued to grow in confidence in the third set, breaking Shelton's serve twice and consolidating his lead with strong serving.

Shelton, who had been serving and volleying effectively throughout the match, retreated to the baseline as the match reached its critical phase. Cobolli took full advantage, breaking Shelton's serve again and serving out the match with an ace.

Cobolli's victory sets up a quarterfinal clash with Kazakh Alexander Shevchenko, who advanced via walkover. Shelton, meanwhile, will have to regroup and refocus his preparations for Roland Garros, which begins on May 28.

Tags: #BenShelton, #FlavioCobolli, #GonetGenevaOpen, #RolandGarros, #ClayCourtTennis