Ben Shelton 'finally runs out of gas' against Zverev in Cincinnati Open quarterfinal

Ben Shelton's win streak came to an end after nine games on Friday night with a 6-2, 6-2 loss to Alexander Zverev in the ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati quarterfinal for a second straight year.

Zverev punished Shelton's second serve, winning 15 of 19 points (79%). The former Gator still fired 12 aces and won 67% of his 39 first serves, but he only reached one break point to the German's 11, four of which were converted. Relying on his serve wasn't good enough, and it seems to be a pattern against the top three players in the world.

Shelton is 0-for-6 against Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Medvedev this year. His only win in 14 total games against the trio came in 2023 against Sinner in Shanghai. Still, Shelton is knocking on the door of the top five and has a solid 190-point cushion on Novak Djokovic heading into the US Open.

“Finally ran out of gas,” said Shelton to his 1.2 million followers on Instagram. “Great couple of weeks, but ready to get after it, New York City.”

Grand Slams bring out the best in Shelton, especially this year, and he loves playing in front of a loud crowd on American soil. It will take a lot to catch up to Jack Draper in the No. 5 spot — who has 330 points more than Shelton — but a quarterfinal run or better might do the trick.

Qualifiers for the US Open start on Monday, but Shelton doesn't have to play until the following week when the main draw begins. Men's and women's singles first-round games take place between Aug. 24 and 26. Matchups have not been released yet.

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators tennis Ben Shelton vs. Alexander Zverev Cincinnati Open