Ben Shelton reaches Cincinnati Open quarterfinals
Although there was concern that Shelton would come out of the gate sluggishly in Cincinnati after winning in Toronto, the World No. 6 has continued his now nine-game win streak without too much trouble. An opening-match withdrawal lightened the stress, but the rain brought it right back after delaying the Bautista Agut match twice.
The Lehecka match proved that Shelton is learning to handle the rigors of the ATP Tour schedule like a seasoned vet, despite being just 22 years old. He stuck to his game plan and is back in the Cincinnati quarterfinals for a second consecutive year. Shelton's been a hometown favorite at the event since making his Masters 1000 debut there in 2022. He's the only American left in the field, so expect things to be loud after every point moving forward.
Looking ahead, Shelton faces World No. 3 Alexander Zverev, who holds a 3-0 record in the head-to-head. It's also a rematch of last year's Cincinnati quarterfinal, where Zverev won in three sets, 3-6, 7-6(3), 7-5. Shelton's a different player a year later, though.
Fans can tune in to the match on the Tennis Channel or with a subscription to the channel's streaming service.
Round of 64: Ben Shelton def. Camilo Ugo Carabelli (6-3, 3-1; walkover)
A first-round bye gave Shelton a bit of time between Toronto and Cincinnati, and his second-round win over Camilo Ugo Carabelli came in just 64 minutes as the Argentine retired with a knee injury. He's the first Canada champion to win his Cincinnati opener since 2021.
'It's definitely not easy to play a couple of days after winning a title,' Shelton said. 'I feel for Camilo, and it's obviously not the way that you want to go through. I hope that he has a quick recovery."
Game-by-game recap
Shelton double-faulted the opening point of each of his first two service games and had to go to deuce to hold serve in the opener. After a pair of aces gave Shelton his second service hold, the next three games reached a break point.
Each player narrowly escaped the first break of the day, but Shelton got the job done in Game 6, winning after one advantage. Shelton won the next game to love, taking control of the set, 5-2. Ugo held his service game, but couldn't stop Shelton from taking the first set in nine games. The set ended with an unintentionally funny moment as Ugo Carabelli tossed his racquet across the court in frustration.
Shelton was on his way to a second-set victory, breaking Ugo Carabelli in the third game. Ugo grabbed his knee in the opening point of the next game and walked over to the next after Shelton went up 3-1.
Round 32: Ben Shelton def. Roberto Bautista Agut (7-6 (3), 6-3)
Rain delayed Shelton's Round of 32 match against Roberto Bautista Agut, which was scheduled for the night session on Tuesday. A washout postponed the match to Wednesday, and more weather forced another two-hour delay.
'The rain delay was a little reset for me,' Shelton said. 'I came out playing much more aggressive tennis, my brand of tennis, and I'm happy how I finished it.
'I don't think I did a great job [handling the match postponement last night]. We were here late last night and I wasn't able to wind down and get to sleep right away. It was tough to get up this morning and be ready for a 1 o'clock match. It was a tough day at the office for sure.'
Game-by-game recap
Shelton fended off three break points in a 12-point first game to hold serve. He dealt with two more break points in his next service match, while Bautista Agut dropped just two points over his first two. Things settled down after that, as both players held serve without giving more than a return point until Game 11.
An unforced error put Shelton down 15-30 in his final service game of the set, but that's when his serve started to pick up. The aces began flowing — 10 in the first set, including the tiebreaker opening point. He followed up with a pair of return wins to go up 3-1 in the 'breaker. A double fault got Bautista Agut on the board, but Shelton finished it off comfortably. A quarter of the Spaniard's 16 first-set unforced errors came during the tiebreaker.
Bautista Agut threatened early once again in the second set, but Shelton is 29-1 this season after winning the first set. Aided by three aces, Shelton held off another three break points and won a 14-point grueler. Shelton's learned to get out of these early-game threats against lower-ranked players, but it might be something higher-ranked players target as a weakness.
After a pair of service holds, Shelton finished off a double-break point opportunity, taking total control of the match. All he had to do was hold serve while conserving energy on the return. That's exactly what happened until Shelton decided to finish off the game early with a match-deciding break.
Despite the decisive win on paper, this wasn't Shelton's finest outing. He had ups and downs with his serve, converting 53% on the day. However, he saved himself often on second serve, winning 22 of 37 opportunities (59%).
Round of 16: Ben Shelton def. Jiri Lehecka (6-4, 6-4)
When Shelton and Lehecka met in Stuttgart earlier this year, the former Gator broke the World No. 26 in the 10th game twice to win in straight sets. This time, Shelton got both of his breaks in the ninth game since Lehecka got the first serve. Whatever Shelton's game plan is for the 26-year-old Czech needn't be changed, as he cruised to a ninth straight win.
"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."
Game-by-game recap
Lehecka and Shelton traded service holds to open the first set, with the latter double-faulting to interrupt both games finishing to love. Lehecka had his own double fault in the next game, but won it with the first ace of the day from either man.
Shelton held serve to love before pushing Lehecka to two break points in the fifth game. He couldn't get the job done, and Lehecka responded with a threat of his own, pushing the sixth game to deuce. Both players used a pair of aces to hold serve through the next two games, steadying things at four apiece.
That's when the maturity came out from Shelton. He's learned to dig deep in the critical moments to win games. Not everyone has that. Shelton won the final eight points of the first set to take the win, and everyone knows what happens when he wins the first one.
Shelton carried the momentum over into the next set, nearly breaking Lehecka in the opening game. However, Shelton slipped up after that and got into one of those lulls he has that prolongs matches. Lehecka broke him to go up 2-0, and the threat of a third set loomed. Shelton responded with a break of his own, and then the two went back and forth trading service holds until they reached another 4-4 tie.
Triple break point. Shelton breaks. Three aces to finish it off. Vintage.
Ben Shelton's ATP Ranking
Advancing to the quarterfinals means Shelton will have at least 4,280 points when the rankings next update. He entered the Cincinnati Open with 4,320, up 190 points on No. 7 Novak Djokovic, but a staggered schedule means he's still at a net loss of 40 points despite the quarterfinal repeat. Still, he sits 150 points of Djokovic heading into the US Open.
Passing Jack Draper, who is rehabbing an arm injury ahead of the US Open, is still in the cards, too. Draper has 4,440 points in the No. 5 spot. A semifinal appearance would get the job done.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators tennis Ben Shelton ATP Cincinnati Open Masters 1000
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
U.S. Open mixed doubles lineup is loaded, but awaits Cincinnati Open results
The first edition of the new U.S. Open mixed doubles tennis tournament has its final field — at least for a day or two. After announcing 14 teams late last month, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) has given the last two wild card spots to Naomi Osaka and Gael Monfils, and Jannik Sinner and Katerina Siniakova. Advertisement Yes, indeed, the world's top-ranked men's singles player has ended up with one of the world's best doubles players — who is also a multiple Grand Slam winner and Olympic champion — at the last minute, immediately placing them among the favorites to win the $1 million first prize. Both the direct-entry field and the wild-card entries had last-minute changes. Sinner lost his original partner, Emma Navarro, who withdrew. When he ended up with Siniakova, their combined singles ranking was not high enough to receive direct entry, so they needed a wild card. Jasmine Paolini withdrew, and her previous partner, Lorenzo Musetti, re-paired with Caty McNally. They needed a wild card, too. But Frances Tiafoe and Madison Keys no longer needed one. So there was room for everyone, including Osaka and Monfils, and even Andrey Rublev and Karolina Muchova, who got in on direct entry. Here's the field. World No. 2 Coco Gauff is missing due to scheduling commitments, while world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is opting out, too. The draw is filled with enticing first-round matchups. Alcaraz and Raducanu against Pegula and Draper. Swiatek and Ruud against Keys and Tiafoe, to name just two. The tournament begins Aug. 19, the day after the Cincinnati Open singles finals, and concludes Aug. 20. The winning team will receive $1 million. Doubles players have criticized the USTA for devaluing a Grand Slam trophy by introducing a new format and holding the tournament in the same week as singles qualifying, rather than alongside the tournament proper. USTA executives have responded that not enough people were watching or even thinking about mixed doubles. Nothing, they argue, devalues an event more than that. So out went the 32-team tournament played alongside the singles events. In came first-to-four-games sets, with no-ad scoring and a match tiebreak at a set apiece, with ESPN interviewing players between the sets. The business will get done well ahead of the singles, giving players a competitive warm-up and the broader tournament a promotional boost, or so the theory goes. The start of the U.S. Open proper on Aug. 24 should not take anyone by surprise. Advertisement But the biggest question — whether all the players who raised their hands to play will actually play — remains an unknown. The biggest complication might be the singles finals of the Cincinnati Open, which will take place on Monday, Aug. 18, the day before the mixed doubles start. Alcaraz, Świątek and Paolini are all playing that day, leaving no turnaround time. The USTA will have a few teams in reserve as injuries and scheduling conflicts arise. Maybe the actual doubles players of renown, people like Marcelo Arévalo, who had offered himself up with Siniakova, before she grabbed the chance to play with Sinner, will enter the mix. Or Desirae Krawczyk and Evan King, or Hsieh Su-wei and Jan Zieliński. $1 million is $1 million after all, and the actual doubles players think they have a built-in advantage against even the top singles stars. Olympic results from last year go some way toward proving that point: Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek eliminated the feted Rafael Nadal / Alcaraz partnership with a clinic in court geometry and rally tolerance at the net. But the loudly unspoken priorities of this new event — selling tickets and thrilling fans with an extra chance to see the biggest stars in the sport — have been met by this all-singing, all-dancing cast. The question is how many of them will make it from the poster to the stage. (Photo of Jannik Sinner: Dylan Buell / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Chicago Tribune
4 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Clarendon Hills drops game 3; bows out of ‘best experience' at Little League World Series
A magical summer came to an end Sunday for Clarendon Hills in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Playing in an elimination-bracket game, Clarendon Hills, the Great Lakes Region champion playing in its first World Series, lost, 9-1, to the West Region winner from Hawaii. Clarendon Hills fell behind early, as Hawaii scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning, added three more in the second and one in the third for a 9-0 advantage. Clarendon Hills scored its lone run in the top of the fourth on an RBI-single by Liam Harrigan, scoring Jack Kaczmarski. 'Their team came out and was very aggressive,' Clarendon Hills manager Brian Herold said, 'Everything I had scouted about them — that we should be throwing breaking balls early — it was like they knew what my strategy was, They sat on off-speed stuff. I thought (pitcher) Jack (Kaczmarski) did terrific. Kudos to them.' Left-hander Kaczmarski was the starting pitcher for Clarendon Hills, working 1 2/3 innings, before giving way to Jack O'Malley for 1 1/3 innings and finally Luca Striltschuk for two. Hawaii taking a big lead early in the game definitely created a challenge. 'It affected us,' said infielder Matthew Kalish. 'It lowered our momentum. They just hit the ball.' Teammate Henry McMahon agreed. 'We just were tying to keep our heads up, stay with it and tryi to bounce back,' he said. Clarendon Hills found itself in the elimination bracket after losing Wednesday to the Mountain Region champion from Nevada, 16-1. The local team bounded back Saturday with a 3-2 win over the Mid-Atlantic Region winner from Pennsylvania. Hawaii, which won World Series titles in 2005, 2008, 2018, and 2022, dropped its opening game Friday to the Metro Region champion from Connecticut, 5-1. Clarendon Hills showed resiliency multiple times during its summer run, as it lost a game in district competition to Naperville, before beating the same team for the championship. After winning the Illinois state championship without a loss, Clarendon Hills was defeated by Ohio in the Great Lakes Region tournament, but came back again to beat that same team, which earned a berth in the World Series. While no World Series championship was in the cards for Clarendon Hills, it did bounce back from its opening-round loss to Nevada to beat Pennsylvania. Despite being eliminated from the World Series with Sunday's loss, the positives of the experience of making it there weren't lost on the team. 'My dream was to play with my friends as long as possible,' Kalish said. 'Just being here, learning new things about different cultures, was amazing. We spent a lot of time with the team from Japan, and being here with the international teams and all the other teams was incredible. This experience meant so much. I love and live baseball.' McMahon called the experience of participating in the World Series, 'the best experience I've have had in my whole life.' 'It went by so fast,' McMahon said. 'We've been practicing for a long time. Knowing there are no more games is hard to take in.' Herold said all along that his team wasn't satisfied to 'just be there' for the World Series. But there was plenty to be positive about, even after being eliminated. 'It's an amazing experience, an accomplishment that was our goal,' he said. 'We quickly shifted gears when we reached this level. To play the best teams from across the world and to elevate your game, that is what we did. 'We're also very proud of our community and where we're from. We've had great support, and we're excited to come home and share our experiences with our community.' Details have not been set, but Clarendon Hills officials say there will be some organized celebration for the team when they return.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Swiatek swamps Rybakina, to face Paolini in Cincinnati final
Iga Swiatek reached the final of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open for the first time on Sunday, surging past Elena Rybakina 7-5, 6-3 to book a title clash with Jasmine Paolini. The six-time Grand Slam champion earned a Monday evening final against an opponent with nothing to lose after Paolini managed to "forget" a patch of bad form to claim a 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3 win over Russian Veronika Kudermetova. The 29-year-old, who was a two-time Grand Slam finalist in 2024, will bid for the fourth title of her career when she faces Swiatek, who is set to compete in her 13th final at the 1000 level as she closes in on a return to world number two. Swiatek, the reigning Wimbledon champion, recovered an early break in the opening set and powered away to beat 2022 All England winner Rybakina -- who had swept past world number one and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals. The former world number one from Poland now ranked third, had twice stalled at the semi-final stage at the pre-US Open event, but booked her title chance on her third opportunity. "It was a great match, and at the beginning, I was even surprised that I'm able to keep up with the pace, because we played so fast," Swiatek said. "I wanted to be there when Elena starts making mistakes. It's impossible to play such a good level throughout the whole match." Swiatek recovered from 3-5 down in the opening set, sweeping the last four games. She jumped to a 4-1 lead in the second, sandwiching a pair of love service games around a break of Rybakina's serve. But Kazakhstan's Rybakina made her work for it, fending off three break points in the sixth game and saving a pair of match points in the eighth before Swiatek closed it out a game later. "I was playing with intensity and quality," Swiatek said. "I feel good about my game right now and would not change anything." Swiatek has beaten Paolini in all five of their prior meetings with the Italian winning just one set. But Swiatek said she was prepared for a tough final against a player who beat world number two Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals. "Anyone who is there will have been playing well," she said. - 'Keep fighting' - Before her 6-0, 6-0 Wimbledon final win over Amanda Anisimova last month, Swiatek had been in a trophy drought with her last prior title coming in June 2024 at Roland Garros. Another victory on Monday would be a strong springboard into the US Open, where first-round play starts on August 24. Paolini looked headed to a straight-set victory but failed to serve out her match at 5-4 in the second set and admitted the lapse left her nervous. "The key was to forget, get back into the fight and stay in the present," Paolini said after wrapping up the win in two and a quarter hours. "I was fighting in the second set and all was fine. But I got nervous and thought I would lose the tiebreaker. "I came back onto court in the third set trying not to think about what had happened. You have to keep going." str/bb
