Shelton falls to Lehecka in Davis Cup qualifier

Ben Shelton lost his first match since reaching the US Open final, falling to Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4 in a Davis Cup qualifier on Friday. The defeat in Prague tied the opening day of the USA-Czechia tie at 1-1. Lehecka, ranked 24th in the world, broke Shelton's serve early in each set on the indoor hard court at the O2 Arena. The Czech player prevented the fourth-ranked American from taking control with his serve throughout the match. Earlier in the day, Learner Tien had given the United States a 1-0 lead by defeating Jakub Mensik 6-2, 6-4 in his Davis Cup debut. Shelton acknowledged Lehecka's strong performance after the match. "I thought he played a great match. A lot of credit to him. He outplayed me today," Shelton said. "He served great, returned great. Volleyed really well, played well from the baseline. There were no real holes in his game today, and he definitely deserved to win that match." The loss marked Shelton's third defeat in as many Davis Cup matches. His previous appearances came during the 2024 quarterfinal against Australia, where he lost in both singles and doubles. Despite the setback, Shelton expressed his commitment to representing his country.