Ben Shelton defeats Jiri Lehecka in Cincinnati

Cincinnati

'Hungry' Shelton reaches Cincinnati QFs, next aims for first Zverev win

American is on a nine-match winning streak

Dylan Buell/Getty Images Ben Shelton will crack the Top 5 of the PIF ATP Rankings if he makes the Cincinnati semi-finals. By ATP Staff

Ben Shelton continued his red-hot streak Thursday at the Cincinnati Open, where he ousted Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals. A week removed from winning his biggest career title at the ATP Masters 1000 in Toronto, 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.

"I'm hungry. I'm in a good rhythm," Shelton said when asked about the key behind his nine-match winning streak. "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."

Amidst warm afternoon 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. Shelton crucially broke Lehecka’s serve at 4-4 in each set and the fifth seed advanced after one hour, 21 minutes.

Shelton will next aim for his maiden win against third seed Alexander Zverev, who leads the American 3-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, including two meetings this year. If Shelton defeats Zverev, it would also guarantee his Top 5 debut in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Boasting a 35-6 season record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Shelton has not dropped a set across three matches this tournament. The three-time tour-level titlist is determined to keep raising his level.

“Tennis is a game that’s not about perfection. You lose almost every week you play. You lose almost half the points you play. For me, I’m just trying to find those one-percents, get a little bit better every day," Shelton said. "I love playing here in Cincinnati, so it’s a huge opportunity for me to compete against some of the best players in the world.”

Click here to read article