Ben Shelton is in the mood to end America’s Cincinnati Open drought. The young talent is firing on all fronts, delivering impressive performances at the hardcourt event. After showcasing his fiery on-court demeanor at the 2023 US Open, Shelton has taken the tennis world by storm. And he won’t rest. Certainly not without a victory on his home soil. But, it won’t be an easy affair. After closely gapping his rivals leading to the quarterfinal buildup, the American is scheduled to lock horns with No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev on Saturday, August 17. Though this affair seems like a roll of the dice for American fans, the duel certainly will present a mouthwatering contest in Cincy.

Ben Shelton vs Alexander Zverev: Preview

World No. 14 Shelton will commence his encounter on the back of a Round of 16 victory over Fabian Marozsan. Despite enduring a rocky start to the contest, Shelton leaned on his hefty big serve to dig out of trouble, converting four of his eight break chances against the Hungarian to conclude the showdown in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3. Shelton registered 79% of wins on his first serve and 53% on his second while saving 1/2 break points.

Alexander ‘Sascha’ Zverev, on the other hand, had to muster up an impressive form during his Round of 16 clash against Pablo Carreno Busta. He had to recover from squandering break advantages to break the Spaniard’s challenge in two hours and five minutes with a score line of 7-5, 7-6(6). The 2021 Cincy champion fired 26 winners agai2nst Busta, conjuring 71% of points on the first serve and 67% on the second. Moreover, Sascha saved 3/10 break points and gave away 2/5.

Shelton vs Zverev: Head-to-Head

The quarterfinal showdown at the Cincinnati Masters will mark the duo’s first-ever encounter on the ATP Tour. Both the players have never crossed paths on the circuit and it will be intriguing to witness how they will look to exploit each other’s weaknesses to gain an upper hand in the much-awaited contest. Their head-to-head is locked at 0-0.

Prediction: Zverev to win in three sets

Shelton is aiming to pick up momentum ahead of his participation at the US Open where will be defending his semifinal points. Although he has been unable to move past the pre-quarterfinal round in his last two appearances at Cincinnati, his latest conquest helped him advance to his second ATP Masters 1000 last eight round. The American has tasted modest success in his Grand Slam adventures and further, secured a semifinal spot at the Citi Open where he fell to Flavio Cobolli.

The 21-year-old is an aggressive baseliner. The No. 12 seed aims to draw blood by producing a thunderous lefty serve going up to a jaw-dropping 153 mph. It is no surprise that the young talent has the firepower to retain his opponent behind the court’s baseline, but will it be enough to hold up against the 6’6″ German?

Sascha has delivered a string of solid performances this season, wherein he reached the French Open‘s summit clash. The former World No. 2 also clinched the Italian Open and has been nothing short of spectacular during most of his outings on the Tour. Moreover, the German stands to replicate his 2023 Cincy results, which saw him secure a semifinal spot. Zverev’s game style is riskier and unpredictable. He aims to wrap up points quickly by waiting for his opponent to give an opening and then executing unsettling winners with his crushing topspin forehand.

In summary, it is a safe bet to say that Zverev will enjoy an upper hand in this contest. Ultimately, he is more experienced and acquainted with the fast hard courts and windy conditions in Cincy than Shelton. Therefore, he will have to be at his best to tackle the American’s offensive game and give the latter a hard time fetching the ball around the court.