Ben Shelton outclassed Taylor Fritz in the thrilling quarterfinals of the Canadian Open.
According to Fox Sports, Shelton, in a most-anticipated match of the event, beat world No. 4 Fritz 6-4, 6-3 on Wednesday night, August 6, to advance to the National Bank Open semifinals.
World No. 7 will now be Karen Khachanov of Russia, who defeated the tournament’s top-seeded Alexander Zverev 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4) in the first semifinal in the Masters 1000 event.
Shelton, after qualifying for the semifinals, said, “I’ve seen so many big improvements in my game this week, that’s what I’m most happy about, how I’m executing, how little I’m hesitating, and how I’m returning. There are a lot of things to be proud about, and beating two top-10 guys back-to-back is huge for me.”
“I’m just really excited to see myself executing like this, not wondering if the shot is going to go in or out, but expecting it to go in,” he added.
Furthermore, the seven-time ATP Tour singles title winner, after beating tournament favourite Zverev, called the clash “a real close one.”
Zverev was the top seed in the Canadian Open after world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament.
Shelton will now face Russian tennis player Khachanov in the semifinals on Thursday, August 7, in Montreal.
