• Shelton won taxing four-setter over Christopher O’Connell on Wednesday 
  • Praised local fans at Melbourne Park for how they backed Aussie rival 
  • 21-year-old can’t get one local chant out of his head at night 

American star Ben Shelton has shared the Australian chant that’s living rent-free in his head after winning a taxing encounter with local hope Christopher O’Connell at Melbourne Park on Wednesday.

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.

Shelton was pushed hard by the crowd and local talent Christopher O'Connell in his second-round win at Melbourne Park on Wednesday

Shelton was pushed hard by the crowd and local talent Christopher O’Connell in his second-round win at Melbourne Park on Wednesday

The 21-year-old was full of praise for the way Aussie fans backed their countryman

The 21-year-old was full of praise for the way Aussie fans backed their countryman

O'Connell (pictured) saved three match points against the American

O’Connell (pictured) saved three match points against the American 

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 said O'Connell has the talent to 'go deep' in tournaments on the world tour this year

Shelton said O’Connell has the talent to ‘go deep’ in tournaments on the world tour this year

‘[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.’

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Post source: Daily mail

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