Zhang Zhizhen narrowly lost to Shelton in two tie-breaks, Yuan Yue unable to challenge Pegula

On April 1 local time, the second round of the men's singles at the 2026 ATP250 Houston event commenced. Chinese player Zhang Zhizhen lost 6-7(5)/6-7(3) to top seed Shelton, ending his run regretfully.

Zhang Zhizhen file photo

Despite their previous head-to-head record being tied at 1-1, Zhang Zhizhen stated before the match that the American clay court surface is faster, making Shelton's serve more difficult to handle. In this match, Shelton, who blasted 21 aces, indeed posed challenges for Zhang Zhizhen. Neither player managed to convert a break point across all 24 service games. In the first set, Zhang Zhizhen led 5-2 in the tie-break but then lost five consecutive points, falling 6-7(5). He even had a higher total point count. In the second set tie-break, Shelton took control early and sealed the match victory with a 7-6(3) score.

Shelton's opponent in the quarter-finals will be Argentine player Tirante, who swept past McDonald 6-2/6-0. McDonald had upset the defending champion in the first round. Sixth seed Etcheverry reversed the match against qualifier Bolt with a score of 6-7(5)/6-0/6-3 and will await the winner between fourth seed Paul and Vallejo.

Yuan Yue file photo

The 2026 WTA500 Charleston event determined its women's singles round of 16 lineup. Chinese player Yuan Yue lost the first ten consecutive games at the start, then staged a comeback by winning five straight games, but after her energy dropped, she lost three more games in succession. In this roller-coaster match, she fell 0-6/5-7 to fourteenth seed Italian player Cocciaretto, failing to advance.

Yuan Yue lost in the final round of qualifying but entered the main draw as a lucky loser. In her first main draw match, she saved a match point to secure a valuable victory. From this tournament, she earned $26,045 in prize money and 45 ranking points, raising her live ranking to No.113. She still needs 57 points to return to the Top 100.

Defending champion and top seed Pegula made her first clay court appearance this year, battling for 3 hours and 10 minutes. She ultimately edged past Kazakh star Putintseva with a 4-6/6-4/7-5 comeback victory. In the next round, she will face Cocciaretto for a quarter-final spot. In a clash between Grand Slam champions, local sixteenth seed Kenin defeated Andreescu 6-4/6-4, ending her tour-level losing streak since Brisbane. Next, she will face fourth seed Jovic, who defeated compatriot Parks in straight sets 6-3/6-2.

Results from other matches

[5] Keys 6-2/6-3 Vekic [Q]

[9] Fernandez 6-2/6-1 P. Kudermetova [Q]

[W] Badosa 6-3/6-4 Sakkari [10]

Bondar 7-5/6-3 Frech [11]

Kessler 6-2/6-1 Zeng Limai [12]

[17] Stearns 7-6(8)/7-5 Krueger

Starodubtseva 3-6/6-1/6-2 Gorgodze [L]

(Text & Editor: Dato, Photo: Li Jianyi)