Czech Jiri Lehecka: Ben Shelton continued his red-hot streak at the Cincinnati Open, where he ousted Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals.
The 22-year-old became the first American man to reach the last eight in Canada and Cincinnati in the same season since Mardy Fish in 2012.
In a warm conditions in Cincy, Shelton’s booming serve raced through the court. The lefty dropped just six points behind his first delivery, including a 141 mph ace when serving out the match. He crucially broke Lehecka’s serve at 4-4 in each set and the fifth seed advanced after one hour, 21 minutes, ATP reports.
"I'm hungry. I'm in a good rhythm. I'm playing good tennis and my body feels good. I think the confidence along with not being satisfied, wanting to prove myself over and over every time that I'm out on the court, and having things that I want to get better at is a huge motivation for me and it pushes me every match," Shelton, who is on nine-match winning streak, said.
Shelton has not dropped a set across three matches this tournament. The three-time tour-level titlist is determined to keep raising his level.
"I'm hungry. I'm in a good rhythm. I'm playing good tennis and my body feels good. I think the confidence along with not being satisfied, wanting to prove myself over and over every time that I'm out on the court, and having things that I want to get better at is a huge motivation for me and it pushes me every match," Shelton, who is on nine-match winning streak, said.
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Shelton will next aim for his maiden win against third seed Alexander Zverev, who leads the American 3-0 in their ATP Head-to-Head series, including two meetings this year. If Shelton defeats Zverev, it would also guarantee his Top 5 debut in the ATP Rankings.