Shelton blitzes Fritz to set up Khachanov decider
Ben Shelton upstaged higher-ranked compatriot Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-3 Wednesday night in Toronto to muscle his way into his first ATP Masters 1000 final at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.
Improving to 26-1 this season after winning the first set, the World No. 7 combined an expected service masterclass with a surprising baseline assault on return to declaw Fritz, who had dropped serve just once in his previous three matches heading into the semi-finals.
"Even more uncharted territory. Humble and Hungry," Shelton wrote on the TV camera as he celebrated the breakthrough win.
“I’ve seen so many big improvements in my game this week, that’s what I’m most happy about, how I’m executing, how little I’m hesitating, how I’m returning,” Shelton said. “There are a lot of things to be proud about and beating two Top 10 guys back to back is huge for me.”
The win also lifted Shelton to fifth in the ATP Live Race to Turin as he hopes to qualify for the ATP Finals for the first time. Should he win the title, Shelton will move to fourth, ahead of Novak Djokovic.
In the first all-American ATP Masters 1000 semi-final since 2010, Shelton earned six break points across three Fritz service games in the opening set, eventually breaking through in the ninth game with a thunderous down-the-line forehand winner.
Emerging as one of the best front-runners in the game, the 22 year-old showed no letup in the second set, claiming the decisive break in the fifth game with a drop shot/lob combo that left Fritz floundering at net. The lefty secured back-to-back Top 10 victories for the first time, after his quarter-final win over recent Washington ATP 500 champion Alex de Minaur.
Shelton claimed his 100th tour-level win earlier in the tournament and will move to a career-high No. 6 in the ATP Rankings ahead of Djokovic if he defeats Karen Khachanov in the final.
Shelton hit 22 unreturned serves to Fritz’s 10 and five backhand winners to Fritz’s none. He earned 10 break point opportunities and limited Fritz to 68 per cent of first-serve points won and 39 per cent of second-serve points won.
“When he’s standing in one corner, he’s one of the best in the world at being behind the ball and hitting it harder and harder every time. I knew I had to keep him moving and I did a great job of that… I felt like I had the ball on a string," Shelton said.
“I’m just really excited to see myself executing like this, not wondering if the shot is going to go in or out, but expecting it to go in…”
Shelton improved to 31-16 on the year.
