Ben Shelton has continued his superb run on the ATP Tour by reaching the last 16 of the Cincinnati Open.
Shelton opted out of the Cincinnati Open doubles, but is progressing in the singles after winning his first two matches.
Currently in a career-high ranking of six, Shelton has now beaten Camilo Ugo Carabelli and Roberto Bautista Agut at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
The Cincinnati Open fifth seed now takes on 22nd seed Jiri Lehecka for a spot in the quarterfinals against Alexander Zverev.
The American is chasing his second title of the season, with Shelton winning the Canadian Open earlier this month.
Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesThe area in which Ben Shelton wants to become ‘one of the best in the world’
He was on hand to analyse his latest display for Tennis Channel, particularly what he’s looking for on his return.
Shelton said: “For me it’s putting the ball in the court, that’s first and foremost. But putting the ball into a position where I feel like I can get the neutral or ahead.
“I think earlier in the year I put more emphasis on just putting it in the court and now I am starting to find my returning style, where I can flip points, especially first serve return points.
“My second serve return has been good for a while now. I feel more comfortable there. But it’s an ongoing process, it’s something I am working on every day, even if it’s after a match I just have to continue to get better.
“That is one of the areas of the game where I want to be one of the best in the world and it’s a process for sure.”
Ben Shelton reveals the realisation he’s made about preparation that has helped him a lot
Shelton needed one hour and 49 minutes to get past Bautista Agut in Cincinnati, who he defeated 7-6(7-3), 6-3.
And return was certainly a key area of the service game, with the Spaniard winning just four points from 14 on his second serve.
Ben Shelton vs Roberto Bautista Agut serving stats (ATP Tour stats)
Shelton also discussed how his ‘low day’ has improved over the last 12 months, saying: “I think for me it’s preparation.
“If I feel good physically and I have my legs, my low day or my floor rises a lot. Me being able to use my athleticism.
“So for me it’s prep, what I do the day before and the night before. How I get ready for a match the day of.
“I found that warming up further away from the match, gives me more time to cool down and chill out before I go on court is something that helps me a lot.
“So there is a lot of little things, scientific things that have gone into my ability to feel like I am at 100% physically every time I step on that court.”
The American now faces a reunion with Czech ace Lehecka, a player he has met just once before on the ATP Tour.
But Shelton won that meeting, defeating Lehecka 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals in Stuttgart earlier this season.