Shelton surges and Fritz fires past Rublev as All-American semifinal is set in Toronto
Ben Shelton defeated Alex De Minaur 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday night. He’ll face American Taylor Fritz, the second seed, in semifinals.
Ben Shelton Toronto 2025 | © Imago / PsNewz
Ben Shelton posted a career breakthrough and Taylor Fritz showcased his serving prowess to set up the first all-American ATP Masters 1000 semifinal in Toronto in 15 years. On Tuesday night, both American stars delivered statement wins to close a power-packed quarterfinal slate at the National Bank Open.
Shelton is the only man left in the final four without a Masters 1000 title. Bryan Shelton’s son, seeded fourth, knocked out Australia’s world No. 8 Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4, snapping de Minaur’s seven-match win streak after his crown in Washington, and advancing to his first Masters 1000 semifinal at age 22.
The left-hander was untouchable on serve, firing 11 aces and facing just two break points in a 91-minute performance (one service game lost in the second). He capitalized on a string of uncharacteristic errors from de Minaur, breaking once in the first set, twice in the second and closing with confidence as he reached the 100-win milestone for his ATP Tour career.
Shelton “excited”
“I’m really excited about the chance to be in the semi-finals,” Shelton said, reflecting on his evolution as a player after putting together one of his cleanest matches of the season.
The win makes Shelton the only one of the last four still searching for a first Masters 1000 title. This fact highlighs both his momentum and the level of competition in Toronto’s deep field.
Fritz, the tournament’s No. 2 seed and world No. 4, continued his own impressive run with a rock-solid 6-3, 7-6(4) victory over Russia’s Andrey Rublev. The American’s serve proved decisive, with 20 aces and nearly 79 percent of first-serve points won.
Fritz broke early in the first set – taking a 4-1 lead in the opener and coming through a tense second set tiebreak when it mattered most. He kept his composure even after failing to serve out the match at 5-4 in set two, regrouping to dominate the breaker and finish in just 81 minutes.
Fritz “happy with everything”
“It was clean. I’m happy with everything,” said Fritz, who improved to 6-4 lifetime against Rublev and has now won four straight matches in Toronto. This is Fritz’s seventh career Masters 1000 semifinal, the second this season after Miami.
The double victory ensures an American finalist in Toronto for the first time since Andy Roddick in 2003. Their semifinal duel also marks the first all-U.S. ATP Masters 1000 semi since 2010. Meanwhile, in the top half, top-seeded Alexander Zverev will meet Russia’s Karen Khachanov for the other spot in Thursday’s final.
Shelton, who had been 0-3 in previous Masters 1000 quarterfinals, now stands just two wins from becoming the youngest American men’s champion in Canada since Andy Roddick in 2003.
Quarterfinal Results (Toronto, National Bank Open):
- Ben Shelton (4) def. Alex de Minaur (9): 6-3, 6-4
- Taylor Fritz (2) def. Andrey Rublev (6): 6-3, 7-6(4)
