Argentinian tennis player Mariano Navone bid farewell to Indian Wells after his defeat against American Ben Shelton in two straight sets of 6-3 and 6-2 in the second round of the tournament. Navone, ranked 63rd in the world, arrived at the event after a South American tour on clay with modest results.
The match began evenly, with both players solid in their serves and not allowing break opportunities. Despite resisting Shelton's attacks, in the sixth game, the American managed to break Navone's serve and take control of the set, winning it 6-3.
In the second set, the Argentinian player maintained parity in the early games, but in the fifth game, Shelton achieved another break. Confident in his game on hard court, he extended his lead with another break and closed the match with a clear 6-2, securing his passage to the next round without major setbacks.
Despite his effort, Shelton's superior skills on this surface made the difference for Navone. With this defeat, the Argentinian exits the tournament, while the American continues advancing steadily.
In his opening match, Shelton secured a victory against Learner Tien by 7-5 and 6-4. In the following encounter, he faced the 12th in the ATP ranking, where Shelton's power and adaptation to fast surfaces proved decisive.
It is noteworthy that this was the second encounter between both players, with a previous meeting in the ATP 500 in Tokyo 2024, where the American also emerged victorious by 6-4 and 6-3.
