The all-American semifinal at the National Bank Open came to a close with Ben Shelton defeating his compatriot Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-3. The match, which took place on Wednesday night, was the first all-American ATP Masters 1000 semifinal since 2010.
Fritz, the tournament's second seed and currently ranked No. 4 in the world, had a strong run leading up to the semifinal. He had beaten Andrey Rublev in a hard-fought quarterfinal match, showcasing his powerful serve with 20 aces. His victories over Gabriel Diallo and Jiri Lehecka earlier in the tournament demonstrated his strong form on the hard courts.
However, Shelton proved to be the stronger player on the day. The 22-year-old, who is ranked No. 7, displayed an impressive combination of a strong serve and a surprising baseline attack to dismantle Fritz's game. Shelton's victory not only marked his first ATP Masters 1000 final appearance but also his second consecutive win over a Top 10 player.
Fritz had been a strong contender, having won two titles on grass this year at Eastbourne and Stuttgart. Despite his loss to Shelton, he remains a key figure in American tennis, having reached the semifinals of Wimbledon earlier this year and the final of the U.S. Open in 2024.
Shelton will now face Karen Khachanov in the final.
