TENNIS: Collignon shocks Shelton to reach French Open third round

PARIS — Belgium’s Raphael Collignon pulled off a major upset after defeating world number five Ben Shelton of the United States 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday to reach the third round of the French Open for the first time in his career.

Playing in the Roland Garros main draw for the first time, the 24-year-old Belgian showed composure and consistency throughout the match, using sharp returns and timely breaks to frustrate Shelton.

Collignon managed to break Shelton’s powerful serve at crucial moments in each set and sealed the straight-sets victory in just over two hours.

“I knew I had to stay focused on my return because his biggest strength is his serve,” Collignon told reporters. “I also had to concentrate on my own service game, and that was the key.”

“I tried to wait for my opportunities, and when they came, I stayed calm and managed to break serve at the right moments,” he added.

Collignon became emotional after securing the biggest win of his career. He will next face Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi in the third round.

-Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide; Editing by Clare Fallon/Reuters