Ben Shelton continued his positive streak at the Cincinnati Open on Friday morning WIB when he defeated Czech tennis player Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals where he will meet Alexander Zverev.
A week after winning his biggest TP Masters 1000 title in Toronto, Shelton became the first American man to reach the last eight of both the Canadian and Cincinnati tournaments in the same season since Mardy Fish in 2012.
"I'm hungry. My rhythm is good," Shelton said when asked about the key to his nine-match winning streak, as quoted by the ATP.
"I'm playing well and my body feels good. I think confidence, not being complacent, wanting to keep proving myself every time I play, and having things I want to improve are huge motivations that drive me every match," he continued.
The left-hander's thunderous serve was key to victory, allowing him to lose only six points after his first serve, including a 228 km/h ace on his serve to end the match.
The 22-year-old broke Lehecka's serve at 4-4 in both sets. The fifth seed advanced after a battle of one hour and 21 minutes.
