"I've never felt like this before," Shelton confident ahead of his showdown against Zverev
After winning his first Masters 1000 title (Toronto), Shelton entered the Cincinnati tournament full of confidence. Now a confirmed top 10 player, the American has qualified for the quarterfinals and will face world No. 3, Zverev. Ahead of this clash, he spoke in an interview shared by Punto de Break:
"I'm excited to play this match because I feel very comfortable on the court. I’d even say I’ve never felt like this in competition before. I’m not just talking about my game, but also the aspects where I usually feel a bit rushed—here, it’s the opposite.
I’m exactly where I wanted to be. The goal was to face the other top 10 guys and eventually take on the world’s top 5. The more matches I play against them, the closer I’ll get to their level—that’s a super important goal for me."
For context, the American has never beaten the German on tour. In their three previous meetings, Shelton has never managed to find the solutions against his opponent, despite a tight last match in Stuttgart (7-6, 7-6).