B.Shelton vs J.Lehecka prediction
B.Shelton
J.Lehecka
B.Shelton
Ben Shelton, fresh off his first-ever Masters win in Toronto just last week, has now made a strong push into the Cincinnati quarterfinals. This American is clearly in top form right now. However, his match against Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut showed that this curly-haired representative of the Stars and Stripes isn't invincible. Shelton experienced ups and downs in his performance, and the rain delay at the start of the second set provided him a much-needed break to regroup (7-6, 6-3). During the game, Shelton fired 15 aces and won 73% of points on his first serve, saving all 8 break points from the Spaniard. It's apparent that the exertions of the past weeks are having an impact on Shelton's play. Prior to Toronto, he also reached the semi-finals in Washington, amassing 11 wins out of his last 12 matches – a stellar record. Yet, his energy reserves are diminishing.
J.Lehecka
The talented Czech player might not be the picture of consistency, but on the swift hard courts of Cincinnati, he's right at home with his serve. Lehecka's stint in Toronto ended at the round of 16, losing to Fritz in a drawn-out match that went to tiebreakers (1-2). However, with sufficient time to prepare for Cincinnati, he's been delivering a confident brand of tennis here. Against American Boyer, Lehecka started slow (4-6, 6-1, 6-4) but then denied Medvedev's conqueror, Walton, any chance in their two-set match (7-6, 7-6), hitting 17 aces and winning 90% on his first serve. As the world's 26th seed, his monstrous serving is poised to be a decisive factor in this game.
Prediction
The two players faced off on the grass of Stuttgart just two months ago, where Shelton emerged victorious (6-4, 6-4). Yet, this time around, with entirely different circumstances, Lehecka has a strong chance not just to put up a fight but potentially avenge his German defeat from a couple of months back.
First, the quick hard courts in Cincinnati provide limited opportunities for breaks against superb servers and players who aren't great returners in fast conditions. Secondly, Shelton is bogged down by a packed schedule and, following his career-highlight win, is struggling in Cincinnati – especially when compared to the fresher Czech, who has adeptly adjusted to the American courts and is consistently serving up ace after ace. Therefore, breaking through Lehecka's serve will be a tall order for Shelton in his current state. In the match against Agut, the American appeared sluggish, so it's unlikely he'll be able to cover such a handicap against a fresher and power-serving Czech.
