TORONTO — Ben Shelton faced an unexpected delay of nearly three hours in his semifinal match, compounded by a technical glitch in the electronic line-calling system just after his warm-up.
But the biggest test of the night came from fellow American Taylor Fritz, and Shelton was ready to meet the challenge head-on.
Displaying both consistency and creativity, Shelton triumphed at the National Bank Open with a convincing 6-4, 6-3 semifinal win at Sobeys Stadium.
At just 22 years old, he has now become the youngest American to advance to an ATP Masters 1000 final since Andy Roddick did it back in 2004 on the same iconic Centre Court.
“Things felt seamless tonight; everything was just falling into place,” Shelton remarked.
As the No. 4 seed, Shelton will now face Russia’s Karen Khachanov, who secured a spot in the final after an intense match that saw him defeat top seed Alexander Zverev of Germany with a score of 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4) in a marathon that lasted nearly three hours.
This victory marked Khachanov’s first win over a top-10 opponent this season in four attempts.
“It’s all about how you handle the crucial moments that count,” said the 11th-seeded Khachanov.
The final is set for Thursday night, with Shelton emerging victorious in their sole ATP Tour encounter earlier this season at Indian Wells.
“He’s a formidable baseliner,” Shelton commented. “His serve is top-notch, and he’s a fierce competitor.”
During the match between Khachanov and Zverev, both players demonstrated their impressive serving prowess amidst the warm, hazy evening at the York University venue.
Early on, long rallies were scarce as both players settled into the quick hardcourt conditions.
Khachanov capitalized on 11 unforced errors by Zverev in the first set, but Zverev battled back to take the second set with a break at love.
As the final set progressed, Zverev struggled in the tiebreaker while Khachanov maintained his steady performance.
“I didn’t perform well in the first set,” Zverev admitted. “I gave him an early lead, and he’s too good not to capitalize on that.”
In the night’s second semifinal, Fritz, the second seed and world No. 4, matched Shelton’s power but found himself challenged by Shelton’s finesse.
At 2-3 in the second set, facing a break point, the two exchanged powerful groundstrokes until Shelton expertly sliced a forehand just over the net.
Fritz raced to intercept, but Shelton executed a stunning backhand lob that soared over the towering Fritz, remaining in play.
“The ball came to me nicely, which made it easier,” Shelton said. “I’ve always excelled at that shot since I was a kid.”
After the pivotal break, Shelton celebrated by raising a finger in the air, ultimately clinching the match when Fritz double-faulted.
This semifinal marked the first all-American matchup at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament since Mardy Fish triumphed over Roddick in 2010 at Cincinnati.
Shelton’s remarkable season continues, with his record standing at 26-1 when he wins the opening set.
Earlier in the day, the sixth-seeded duo of Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski claimed a 7-6 (5), 6-2 victory in their doubles semifinal against Argentina’s Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni.
Salisbury and Skupski will compete against fellow Brits Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, the No. 2 seeds, in Thursday’s final.
