Another Argentinian!

First Comesana and now Baez...

Yes, that's right! Shelton started his 2026 with a win against Comesana. He managed to close it in straight sets, with Comesana failing to convert a very convertible set point. There was a noticeable amount of "rust" in Shelton's game, especially early on (getting the timing right, a lot of forehands into the net). However, it did get noticeably better as the match went on. Baez is doing the opposite of what he did in 2025 - winning! Facing Brooksby on hardcourt looked like a challenging task on paper, but despite a few hiccups, it ended up being a very decisive victory in the end, due to a combination of Baez's form and confidence and a poor showing from Brooksby.

One of the commentators mentioned that Shelton has an outstanding record against Argentinian players... and it's true, 12-0 at the ATP level! Every player is different, but they tend to share some general attributes based on the country where they grew up playing tennis. And for Argentina, that tends to be gritty fighters with a lot of heart. Could it be that Shelton can match this aspect and possess a bit more "talent" that ends up being the deciding factor? Possibly. For Baez, it will be another American... but a complete contrast in playstyle. Baez might be in excellent form and feeling great, but this looks to be a hard matchup for him. Baez's backhand is definitely his weaker wing, and playing against a powerful lefty could force him to hit it more than he would like to. Shelton is also someone who comes and finishes points at the net regularly, which is a good skill to have against Baez! Yes, the combination of Big Server / All-Court player, along with being a lefty, should definitely make Baez uncomfortable. There are a few things that could help Baez. First of all, different levels of motivation for this match. Baez is riding his wave of confidence and is willing to give it his all (and more) on the court in this very match. While Shelton is competitive, the Australian Open is coming up shortly, and we've seen top seeds lose motivation in the ATP 250's pre-grand slam. Also, Comesana did have his chances against Shelton but was a bit too passive in the key moments. While we might not necessarily associate Baez with attacking tennis, he has looked really sharp at the net so far this year. Will it be enough? I'm not so sure...