I'm ready for war," Shelton warns ahead of clash with De Minaur

After narrowly defeating Italian Cobolli (6-4, 4-6, 7-6) in the round of 16 in Toronto, Shelton continues his advance in this Canadian Masters 1000. A semifinalist in Washington, the American hopes to repeat that performance by defeating De Minaur in the next round, as he stated in an interview reported by *Punto de Break*.

"He's a real talent—I'm amazed by how fast he is and the pace of tennis he manages to impose. This will be our first match, and I’m really looking forward to playing against him. I’m ready for war."

Regarding the current competition, the world No. 7 explained the extremely high level on the tour, though he added that he feels particularly strong at this stage of the season.

"There are more and more great players capable of beating anyone in the early rounds, so you have to stay very focused every week of the year from the start. The competitiveness on tour is very high, and consistency is key.

I’ve improved a lot on all surfaces, but it’s true that on this tour, I feel especially comfortable because I’ve played my whole life on these kinds of courts and with these balls.