Workhorse Shelton rolls into Cincinnati Open quarterfinals
MASON, OH — Sure, we’ve all heard about the Energizer Bunny, the battery that never dies. Here at the Cincinnati Open we have the Energizer Elephant, a massively-strong, constantly smiling man who stands 6-feet-4 and has a service arm built for chopping wood and serving aces.
Say hello again to Ben Shelton.
While Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz skipped the Canada ATP Tour 1000 tournament, an event just a level below the majors, to rest, Shelton played. And won the title.
Then Shelton came to Mason to play in the other summer ATP Tour 1000 event before the U.S. Open. And he’s in the quarterfinals. Aug. 14, despite stifling heat and a crafty opponent in 22nd-seeded Czech, Jiri Lhecka, the fifth-seeded Shelton broke serve twice, in the ninth game of each set and moved into the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-4 win.
Shelton said he didn’t think twice about playing both North American hardcourt tournaments. He likes the surface, being a Florida man he likes the heat, and he didn’t diss the two top-rated players, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, for skipping Canada.
“They got to finals at the French Open, Wimbledon,” Shelton said. “They’ve played a lot of tennis. They make their schedules. I want to get in a groove and I feel my level is getting to a good place at the right time.”
It is a joy to watch Shelton play, because he has so much fun. Lehecka was giving Shelton some trouble with drop shots so after missing one, Shelton followed his giant serve that actually got returned with a winning dropper of his own then gave a little grin as if to say, “What else you got Jiri?”
Shelton served seven aces of all speeds and shapes. After he hit them he stuck out his tongue. Or raised his arms, asking for some love. Or just pounded his fist on his chest. Seven isn’t a big number, but there were countless other service winners and still Shelton shrugged and said he wasn’t happy with his serving.
Lehecka didn’t enjoy receiving that serve. “Sometimes it is not fun,” he said. “Sometimes you can’t see it.”
Some of those point-starting shots formed almost an S-curve. A couple were 102 mph. One, in the final game of the match, was 141 mph. In fact that final game was ace (121 mph), ace (the 141), ace (129), a lost point when he put a forehand in the net, then a second-serve winner. And the Grandstand crowd groaned a little. Those sweaty fans wanted to see ace, ace, ace, ace.
In the first Shelton annoyed himself by missing the first two break points of the set in the fifth game. Lehecka saved one, well actually Shelton saved it for him by missing a forehand badly, and a second on a long backhand from Shelton.
Things stayed on serve until the ninth game when Shelton took advantage of his third break point of the set when Lehecka couldn’t handle the speed of Shelton’s forehand and knocked one of his own into the net. That meant Shelton had a 5-4 lead and the serve. Most of the fans liked his chances. For good reason.
The 22-year-old Shelton quickly won that 10th game with a 126-mph service winner, a 138-mph service winner, a serve-and-volley winner and a 110-mph service winner. Yep, Shelton had so little nerves he won the set by serving a love game.
It seemed as if the American threw away a chance to blow the match open when he had wasted two break points in the first game of the second set. But Shelton’s backhand slice betrayed him once and Lehecka hit a service winner of his own to hold on.
And in the next game, maybe frustrated with his missed chance, Shelton got broken. He served a double fault. He hit an arrogant drop shot short, he sailed a forehand wide and suddenly the Czech had a 2-0 lead. But that lasted only as long as it took Shelton to break back when Lehecka hit his own drop shot into the net and followed with a very long forehand to hand that break right back and make the score 2-1.
From there Lehecka never threatened Shelton’s service games and, once again Shelton broke in the ninth game for a 5-4 lead and easily held his serve for the win.
“Breaking in the ninth game when you know you can serve it out is always good,” Shelton said. “It means you’re hitting the ball well at the right time. I don’t mind it. I don’t feel any extra pressure or anything.”
On Aug. 15, Shelton gets a real test of his level when he meets third-seeded Alexander Zverev. Shelton hasn’t beaten the German in their three meetings. The only set Shelton has taken off Zverev, in fact, was here last year when Zverev won 3-6, 7-6 (3),7-5. Earlier this year on grass, Zverev won 7-6 (8), 7-6 (1) and only on clay did Zverev dominate Shelton, winning 6-2, 6-4.
Shelton is on a nine-match winning streak, a career-best, and is the first American man since Mardy Fish in 2012 to reach the quarterfinals of both the Canadian and Cincinnati summer-swing stops. If you remember Mardy Fish’s summer of stun, you are a true tennis fan.
“I’m feeling good, improving, what’s not to like right now,” Shelton said. “I’ll really have a good idea of where my game is after (Friday) night.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Workhorse Ben Shelton rolls into Cincinnati Open quarterfinals
