United States' Ben Shelton, fresh from his US Open final appearance, was stopped by Jiri Lehecka in his latest Davis Cup match. This loss allowed Czechia to level the ongoing qualifying tie against the USA, with high stakes for a place at the Davis Cup Final 8 in Bologna.
Shelton Struggles in Prague
In his first match since reaching the US Open final, Ben Shelton could not assert his usual dominance with the serve that powered his rise to a career-high world No. 4. Facing Jiri Lehecka, ranked 24th, Shelton lost 6-4, 6-4 on Prague's indoor hard courts. Lehecka broke Shelton’s serve early in both sets, maintaining his lead to secure victory and even the tie 1-1 for Czechia.
Shelton’s Davis Cup Record
The defeat continues a challenging run for Shelton in Davis Cup competition. He now holds a 0-3 record in the event, having lost in both singles and doubles against Australia in the 2024 quarterfinals. Despite his recent Grand Slam success, success in team competition has remained elusive.
The Davis Cup Stakes
Earlier in the tie, American Learner Tien gave the US a 1-0 lead with a straight sets win over Jakub Mensik. With the best-of-five match format, doubles and reverse singles are set to decide which nation will move forward to November's Final 8 in Italy, where the Davis Cup champion will be crowned.
