Ben Shelton beats Alex de Minaur to set Toronto semifinal against Taylor Fritz

Ben Shelton defeated Alex de Minaur in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Toronto Tuesday night. With this win, the American has moved inside the cut for the Nitto ATP Finals.

The lefty was able to break the Australian serve in the sixth game of the opening set. Shelton then got an early break in the second set as he broke de Minaur’s serve in the third game.

The American was delighted after the win and said Alex de Minaur is a fierce competitor.

“I’m really happy with the win; it showed a lot of mental toughness,” Shelton said. “He’s broken me a million times in practice and he’s a really tough competitor. I served out the sets confidentially and I’m really excited about the chance to be in the semi-finals.”

Shelton smashed 13 aces in 1 hour 31 minutes against the Australian as he delivered his best.

“A lot of guys see me as just a server and not as much as a baseliner,” Shelton said. “Psychologically, when I get into a match and go into lockdown mode and put a million balls in the court, my rally ball does come with a good bit of weight and I feel I surprise guys at times.

“Being able to win the longer rallies and be comfortable in my own skin and not feeling like I’m rushing to make something happen is a huge part of my evolution.”

Shelton will face countryman Taylor Fritz in the semifinal of the tournament and he is looking forward to the contest.

The American concluded, “Yeah, really excited. I played him right when I came out on tour. We had a great battle in Indian Wells… He’s a big-match player. He’s been carrying the flag for the United States in the big tournaments as of late. He’s clutch, serves well. We’re great friends, and it’s a match that I’m really excited about.”