Fritz and Shelton Advance to Semifinals in Toronto, Reviving the American Rivalry
In an exciting day at the National Bank Open, Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton secured their place in the semifinals, marking a milestone for American tennis. This all-American matchup hadn’t been seen in an ATP Masters 1000 tournament for 15 years. Fritz, seeded number two, defeated Andrey Rublev, number six, with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (4). His performance included 20 aces, sealing the match with impeccable serving. “It was clean. I’m happy with everything,” Fritz declared after his victory.For his part, Shelton, seeded number four, defeated Alex de Minaur of Australia with a score of 6-3, 6-4. This victory marked the first time Shelton has reached the semifinals of an ATP Masters 1000 tournament. The Wednesday semifinal between Fritz and Shelton will be the first time two Americans have faced each other at this stage since Andy Roddick defeated Mardy Fish in Cincinnati in 2010. Fritz and Shelton already faced each other in 2023 in Indian Wells, with a victory for Fritz.It was clean. I am happy with everything.
Taylor Fritz
The last American to win a Grand Slam was Roddick, at the 2003 US Open.He’s a big-match player. Lately, he’s been carrying the flag for the United States in the big tournaments. He’s clutch, he serves well. We’re great friends. It’s a match that excites me a lot.
Ben Shelton
The other semifinal on Wednesday will pit the top seed, Alexander Zverev of Germany, the tournament champion in 2017 in Montreal, against Karen Khachanov of Russia, seeded number 11. The final will be played on Thursday. Fritz started the match strongly, achieving three aces in the first game and breaking Rublev’s serve. The American, currently in fourth place in the ATP ranking, is seeking his eleventh ATP Tour title and his second Masters 1000 crown. Fritz lost in the Wimbledon semi-finals to Carlos Alcaraz. Several important players, such as Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, did not participate in this hard court event, which will expand to two weeks in 2025. Rublev lost in last year’s final against Alexei Popyrin.I have no doubt that one of us will achieve it at some point. Who knows who it will be. You just have to wait and see… American tennis is in a very good moment.
Ben Shelton
