By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, October 25, 2024

Ben Shelton waved the white towel before the match—then racked up one of his biggest wins of the season.

Shelton saved all six break points he faced squeezing out a 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4 win over top-seeded Andrey Rublev to reach his seventh career semifinal in Basel.

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It is Shelton’s second Top 10 win of the season following his victory over Daniil Medvedev in Laver Cup.

This quarterfinal began with Shelton standing on court waving his white towel in the air to try to disperse some smoke unleashed during the player introductions.



Shelton showed shrewd court management skills throughout a two hour, 15-minute win to become the third American man to post 40 wins this season behind US Open finalist Taylor Fritz (49) and Queen’s Club finalist Tommy Paul (45) .

The 22-year-old Shelton has not dropped serve in three tournament wins—over Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Stan Wawrinka and Rublev—denying all 12 break points he faced along the way.

Though you can make a case Shelton hasn’t yet played his best tennis, he’s not only though to the semifinals—he’s the first man to beat a top seed in Basel before the semifinals since lefty serve-and-volleyer Mischa Zverev upset No. 1-seeded Wawrinka in the 2016 quaterfinals.

Playing for his first title since Houston last April, Shelton will face talented 20-year-old Frenchman Arthur Fils for a place in Basel final.

Earlier, Fils fended off Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6(5), 6-3.



It was Fils’ 13th consecutive victory in ATP 500 level play following 500 tournament titles in Hamburg and Tokyo.

The 20th-ranked Fils beat Tsitsipas for the second time in as many meetings, scoring his 10th Top 20 win of the season. Fils won 29 of 33 first-serve points and did not face break point in a one hour, 23-minute triumph.

The sixth-seeded Shelton has split two prior meetings with the seventh-seeded Fils, who prevailed in their last match with a pulsating 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-6(2) win in the Tokyo quarterfinals.

Fifteen minutes into the match, Rublev pressured the American, earning three break points.

Shelton, who saved all five break points he faced defeating Swiss wild card and home hero Stan Wawrinka yesterday, stood tall again. Pumping an ace down the T and following with some whipping wide serves, Shelton saved all three break points holding for 3-2 and leaving a frustrated Rublev smacking himself in the temple.

Wearing bright red headband, Rublev was bringing heat on serve.

Contesting his 13th quarterfinal of the year, Rublev charged through his serve games with clarity leveling at 5-all.

Rublev rifled a return winner down the line that helped him get to 30-all on the Shelton serve. Shelton slammed a heavy second serve then crunched a forehand down the line edging ahead 6-5.

Though Rublev had been sound on serve, Shelton showed scrappiness behind the baseline, extending the rally to win a long point in the 12th game. A deep Shelton return followed by a Rublev netted error gave the American the lone break of the set to end the opening set in 47 minutes.

Shelton won eight of 10 second-serve points and saved all three break points he faced in the set.

An hour into the match, Shelton snapped off heavy serves saving two more break points. Navigating a seven-minute hold, Shelton edged ahead 2-1 in the second set.

Rublev, who had been hit with a warning earlier, was called for an audible obscenity point penalty that helped Shelton hold for 4-3.

The top seed spent the ensuing changeover debating the ruling with chair umpire Arnaud Gabas—Rublev said his profanity was self-directed frustration—while Shelton sucked up some energy gel.

In the second set tiebreaker, Rublev sent Shelton corner to corner gaining the mini break as he moved out to a 4-2 lead. The slider serve wide set up a forehand strike then the Russian boomed a bounces smash earning set points at 6-2. When Shelton missed a return off a second set, Rublev snatched the second set to force a decider after one hour, 42 minutes.



While self-abuse isn’t advisable in tennis or life, you can almost understand why Rublev was seething in the final stages of the match.

Madrid champion Rublev rolled through four consecutive love holds to start the final set then betrayed his own cause serving at 4-all. Rublev bungled a backhand volley and paid the price as Shelton hit the pass that helped him break for 5-4.

Though Rublev won six more points in this match—101 to 95—Shelton played break points with more purpose.

Serving with new balls, Shelton slid his 13th ace down the T for three match points. When Rublev missed a forehand return long, Shelton was through to the semifinals.