Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton set up
all-American semifinal in Toronto
[August 06, 2025]
TORONTO (AP) — Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton won Tuesday in
the quarterfinals of the National Bank Open, setting up the first
all-American semifinal in an ATP Masters 1000 tournament in 15
years.
The second-seeded Fritz beat No. 6 seed Andrey Rublev 6-3, 7-6 (4).
He hit 20 aces, including one that finished off the match.
“It was clean,” Fritz said of his performance. “I’m happy with
everything.”
Shelton, the No. 4 seed, then beat No. 9 Alex de Minaur of Australia
6-3, 6-4. The 22-year-old reached the semifinals of an ATP Masters
1000 tournament for the first time.
The matchup Wednesday between Fritz and Shelton will be the first
time since Andy Roddick beat Mardy Fish at Cincinnati in 2010 that
two American met in an ATP Masters 1000 semifinal.
Fritz won their only previous meeting in 2023 at Indian Wells.
“He’s a big-match player,” Shelton said. “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.
“It’s a match that I’m really excited about.”

Andy Roddick was the last American men’s player to win a Grand Slam
when he won the U.S. Open in 2003.
“I have no doubt that one of us is going to get it at some point,”
said Shelton, who is ranked seventh. “Who knows who it is? You guys
just got to wait and see … American tennis is in a really good
place.”
Wednesday’s other semifinal will see top-seeded Alexander Zverev of
Germany, the 2017 tournament winner in Montreal, take on No. 11
Karen Khachanov of Russia. The final is Thursday.
Fritz came out firing in hazy and breezy conditions with three aces
to win the first game. He then broke Rublev in securing the match’s
first eight points.
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Ben Shelton, of the United States, reacts after winning a point
against Alex De Minaur, of Australia, during their quarterfinal
match at the National Bank Open in Toronto, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025.
(Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

The 27-year-old American, who sits fourth in the ATP Tour rankings
and lost last year’s U.S. Open final to No. 1 Jannik Sinner, fired
two more aces to go up 4-1 before serving out the set.
Looking for his 11th ATP Tour title — and second Masters 1000 crown
— Fritz broke Rublev with the second set tied 4-4, but the Russian
returned the favor to stay alive in the next game and went up 6-5
before Fritz forced the tiebreaker.
Fritz lost in the Wimbledon semis to No. 2-ranked Carlos Alcaraz,
who along with a host of top players including Sinner, No. 5 Jack
Draper and No. 6 Novak Djokovic all skipped this hard-court event
expanded to two weeks in 2025.
Rublev lost in last year’s final to Australia’s Alexei Popyrin, when
the event was played in Montreal. The 27-year-old from Moscow made
the fourth round of both Wimbledon and the French Open.
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