Shelton edges past Fils to reach Swiss Indoors final

American Ben Shelton, the No 6 seed, reached the final of the Swiss Indoors by beating Frenchman Arthur Fils, the No 7 seed, 6-3, 7-6 (9) in Basel.

It is the third ATP final of Shelton’s young career, and his second of 2024, having won his previous two finals in Houston this year and Tokyo last season.

Despite a straight-set victory, it was a tightly contested match, with Fils failing to convert four set points in the second-set breaker as the American recovered from 6-3 and 7-6 down to power through to the final in Basel.

In a serve-dominated contest, a single break in the first set was all Shelton required as he broke in the eighth game before serving out for a one-set lead.

Both players held serve throughout the second, as a close tiebreak concluded proceedings.

Shelton, ranked No 23, will face the winner of the match between Dane Holger Rune, the No 4 seed, and Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard next.

Ahead of his victory, the 22-year-old American won against Argentinian Tomas Martin Etcheverry (6-3, 6-4), Swiss wildcard Stan Wawrinka (7-6 (2), 7-5) and Russian Andrey Rublev, the top seed (7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-4).

Fils, ranked No 20, won against German qualifier Daniel Altmaier (7-6 (5), 6-3), Spaniard Pedro Martinez Portero (7-5, 6-3) and Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, the No 3 seed (7-6 (5), 6-3) in the previous rounds of the Basel tournament.

Basel ATP 500, other semi-final result (St. Jakobshalle., hard, EUR 2.385.100):

• Holger Rune vs. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard