Ben Shelton was knocked out in the second round of the Cincinnati Open by Portuguese qualifier Jaime Faria on Sunday evening. The world No. 79 prevailed 6-4, 6-4 in just over ninety minutes against the eighth seed, only three days after Shelton lifted the Masters 1000 trophy in Montreal.
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Faria untouchable on serve
The 23-year-old Portuguese never wavered on his service games. In the opening set, Faria saved all nine break points he faced, leaving a frustrated Shelton unable to convert a single opportunity. Meanwhile, the American dropped serve early in the set, and that lone break was all Faria needed to take the opener 6-4.
The pattern repeated in the second set. Shelton, visibly drained after his Montreal campaign where he defended his title without dropping a set, never found his usual rhythm. Faria remained rock-solid from the baseline and precise with his shot selection, breaking the American once more to seal the match at 6-4.
A career-defining victory for Faria
This win marks a turning point for Jaime Faria. The Lisbon native claimed his first victory over a top-10 player and the biggest result of his young career. Having come through qualifying in Cincinnati, Faria had already dispatched Basilashvili and Wu before sweeping aside Brooksby 6-3, 6-2 in the first round. Four consecutive wins without dropping a set, including one over the world No. 6: the Portuguese qualifier's run commands attention.
Faria, who reached the third round at Roland-Garros earlier this season, is proving he has the weapons to trouble the best. He will face the winner of the Medvedev-Paul match in the third round.
What this means for Shelton before the US Open
For Ben Shelton, this defeat underlines the difficulty of backing up consecutive Masters 1000 events just three days apart. The 23-year-old American, ranked sixth in the world, still boasts a remarkable season with two Masters 1000 titles, but will need to find freshness before the US Open begins in two weeks. His six-match winning streak ends at the gates of the third round in Ohio. (Sources: ATP Tour, Sunday Guardian Live, World Tennis Magazine)
