Ben Shelton wards off American "bagel curse," shmears sleeveless Frances Tiafoe at US Open

WATCH: Who is rocking the sleeveless look best at the 2023 US Open?

NEW YORK—Anyone hungry for bagels?

Ben Shelton treated himself to a New York delicacy after warding off a supposed “bagel curse” among U.S. men to reach his first-ever US Open quarterfinal, one that came at the expense of countryman Tommy Paul in four sets.

Paul booked his Australian Open rematch with Shelton after a rebounding from a third-set hiccup that came after a dominant 6-0 second set over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

“We have, like, a thing between most of the Americans where we think when people win a set 6-0 it's, like, a curse that you always lose the next set,” he explained after defeating the Spaniard in four sets. “To be honest, like, I was thinking about it there in the third. I was looking up at my team, I was, like, ‘Oh, God, like I'm going to win this set 6-0.’ I was serving 5-0. I was like, ‘Oh, no.’

Told that Shelton ended his third-round match against Aslan Karatsev with a 6-0 fourth set of his own, Paul predicted, “Nice. So I'm coming out hot and winning that first set basically.”

Those who caught Shelton’s four-set win over Paul will know that did not happen, though not for lack of trying as the 20-year-old initially trailed 0-3 in the opening set.

But Shelton no doubt earned his carbs after a double-duty day at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, one that featured a pair of 149mph serves and a mixed-double win alongside Taylor Townsend.

Next up for Shelton is another American in good friend Frances Tiafoe, with whom Shelton has been waging a style war over their dueling sleeveless shirts—even getting Coco Gauff to weigh in after her fourth-round win over Caroline Wozniacki.

“There's not a time that he walks by me in the locker room and doesn't say something about, ‘Man, I'm looking way better than you in this sleeveless shirt. You got to work on those shoulders, buddy!’” jokes Shelton.

This next match will be for all the bagels as Shelton aims to make his first Grand Slam semifinal on Tuesday.