"I'm seeing improvements every single day" - Ben Shelton on aspect of his game that will take him to the next level

Tennis star Ben Shelton has been one of the pleasant surprises at this year's Indian Wells event, and the American has divulged some changes he has made in order to reach this new level.

The Atlanta native defeated compatriot Brandon Nakashima in straight sets to reach the quarterfinals in the desert. Shelton is yet to drop a set this week, and will next take on in-form Brit Jack Draper for a spot in the semifinals.

The World No.12 is known for having a booming serve and fearsome forehand. However, Shelton revealed he had been making adjustments to certain aspects of his game, with his backhand and return of serve requiring the most attention.

"I think that there are so many things that continue to need to get better on my backhand, in terms of variety, shot selection, shot tolerance,” said Shelton following his third round win over Karen Khachanov. “But I’m seeing improvements every single day and I’m just happy that some of the work is paying off. That’s something for me that I felt used to be a liability and in a lot of the matches I play now, I don’t feel that way.
"For me it’s reps against the best serves in the world, it’s figuring out what my way is to put the ball in the court when guys can hit their spots,” he said. “Not an easy task, I have to be able to adjust and I think for me that has been the biggest difference.
“I feel like I can return from anywhere and make it happen right now. In the past I just had to do one thing and stick with that one thing for the whole match and I just had more of a rigid mentality."