Ben Shelton arrived in Toronto with a 24-23 score at a Masters 1000 level. The young American improved his tally at the Canada Masters and reached his first semi-final at this level.
A left-hander faced Alex de Minaur in the quarter-final and provided a 6-3, 6-4 victory in an hour and 31 minutes. The Aussie served at 53% and dropped 42% of the points in his games, playing against five break points and losing serve three times.
Shelton dropped 19 points in ten service games, losing serve once and emerging at the top in straight sets. The American forged a massive 27-11 advantage in service winners.
He also outplayed his rival from the baseline, while Alex forged the advantage at the net. Ben fired the same number of winners and unforced errors. He welcomed almost 30 mistakes from de Minaur, mostly from a backhand side.
They stayed neck and neck in the most advanced rallies, and a left-hander forged the difference in the shortest ones up to four strokes. Ben missed a backhand in the first game of the duel and faced a break point.
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The American saved it with a booming serve and avoided an early setback. Alex played against two break points in the fourth game, saving them with a forced error and a winner at the net.
The Aussie squandered more game points at 2-3 and sent a backhand wide on a break point to experience a break and fall behind. He sent another backhand beyond the baseline in the next one, allowing Shelton to open a 5-2 gap.
The American served for the set at 5-3 and seized the second set point with a forehand winner at the net, wrapping up the first part of the duel in 45 minutes. Alex held after deuces at the beginning of the second set.
However, Ben made another push at 1-1 and welcomed the rival's forehand error for a break and an early advantage. A left-hander wasted a game point in the next one and lost serve after de Minaur's forehand winner.
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Instead of building on that, the Aussie wasted a game point at 2-2 and sprayed a costly double fault to suffer a break and fall behind. Shelton cemented the lead with a service winner in game six.
He fired another at 4-3 to remain in front and served for the win in game ten. The 4th seed held at love with an unreturned serve, sealing the deal in style and arranging the semi-final duel against Taylor Fritz.
