Shelton, who recently climbed to a career-high ranking of No. 4 after his run at the US Open, struggled to find his rhythm on the indoor hard court. The 24th-ranked Lehecka capitalised on his opportunities early in both sets, securing decisive breaks of serve that ultimately paved the way for his victory. This loss marks Shelton’s third consecutive defeat in Davis Cup competition, following his previous singles and doubles losses against Australia in the 2024 quarterfinals.
Tien shines on debut as tie remains balanced
Despite Shelton’s setback, the United States maintained a competitive foothold in the series thanks to a strong performance from Learner Tien. Making his Davis Cup debut, the American secured a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Jakub Mensik. Tien displayed impressive composure throughout the contest, committing only 15 unforced errors compared to the 34 recorded by his opponent, providing the 32-time champions with an initial 1-0 lead.
The best-of-five series is now set to continue on Saturday with the doubles and reverse singles matches. The winning nation will secure a place in the Davis Cup Final 8, which is scheduled to take place in Bologna, Italy, this November. Elsewhere in the qualifying rounds, South Korea moved to the brink of a historic achievement, taking a 2-0 lead over India in Seoul. Both SoonWoo Kwon and Hyeon Chung overcame one-set deficits to put their team in a commanding position to reach the Final 8 for the first time as an Asian nation.
Other qualifying ties remain finely poised, with Austria and Belgium locked at 1-1. Meanwhile, Germany prepares to host Croatia in Halle, with Alexander Zverev expected to feature for the home side. The tournament, which utilizes the Final 8 format introduced in 2022, will see the successful teams join the defending champion Italy in the final stages later this year.
