Ben Shelton began his 2026 season on a confident note at the ASB Classic, easing past Francisco Comesana after receiving a first-round bye as the top seed. But just as Shelton started to find his rhythm following a challenging 2025 season, Auckland’s unpredictable weather stepped in, disrupting play and testing patience.

Thunderstorms and heavy rain disrupted play at the Auckland ATP 250. Ben Shelton’s quarterfinal against Sebastian Baez was suspended with the score at 5-7, 1-0. The Argentine had taken the first set before the weather forced play to stop. Conditions worsened as rain and thunder continued across the venue.

Two other quarterfinal matches were also affected. Eliot Spizzirri’s match against Fábián Marozsán was halted on Court 1, with Marozsán leading 5-4 at 30-30 in the first set. On the Grandstand, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard was scheduled to face Jakub Mensik, but the match never began. Officials suspended play before the first ball was struck due to unsafe conditions.

Despite some rust from recent inactivity, Shelton’s numbers were strong. He fired 12 aces and won 78% of his first-serve points. His serving helped him control key phases of the match and close it out cleanly.

Afterward, Shelton spoke positively about his return to competition. “I feel great, knocked off a little bit of rust, but just feel great to be back playing, back competing,” he said. “It’s great when you get to play a competitive match, feel the tension at certain points of the match, and then obviously get a win and give yourself the opportunity to play again.”

In today’s match, Shelton narrowly lost the first set in a tiebreak. He looked in control early in the second set before play was suspended. 

However, he was not alone in facing disruption. Chaotic Auckland weather also badly affected the morning matches, once again throwing the ASB Classic schedule into uncertainty.

Luciano Darderi and Marcos Giron’s match was also suspended due to rain

Even before Ben Shelton stepped onto the court for his quarterfinal, rain had already disrupted another key match at the ASB Classic. The quarterfinal between Italy’s Luciano Darderi and American Marcos Giron was suspended due to rain on center court. At the time of the stoppage, the score stood at 6-1, 5-7, 2-5.

Both players had won one set, and Giron was closing in on victory when play was halted. Rain had affected the schedule from the start of the day. Morning showers delayed action, forcing officials to dry the courts before play could begin.

The match eventually started around 40 minutes later than scheduled. Even then, conditions remained unstable throughout the day. Weather uncertainty continued to hang over the tournament, disrupting rhythm and momentum.

Later on, Giron was able to return and finish the match. He closed out the third set 6-4 to secure his place in the semifinals. The delay did little to stop his progress, but it added another chapter to Auckland’s weather troubles.

Rain delays were also a factor on the previous day. Jakub Mensik overcame repeated interruptions to defeat Hamad Medjedovic. That match lasted two hours and 14 minutes, with the longest delay coming when Mensik was serving at 3-1, 40-40.

Weather issues stretched beyond Auckland. At the Hobart International, Emma Raducanu’s match against Camila Osorio was also suspended by rain. 

And as Shelton now waits to resume his own quarterfinal, the ongoing delays will test his patience as he looks to secure a semifinal spot in Auckland.