Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton to face off in Dallas Open final
FRISCO, Texas — Top-seeded Taylor Fritz triumphed over Marin Cilic in straight sets, while No. 2 Ben Shelton overcame defending champion Denis Shapovalov on Saturday night, setting the stage for a Dallas Open final featuring the highest-ranked American players.
Fritz recorded 22 aces in his 7-6(5), 7-6(3) win, whereas Shelton ignited his performance with a stunning crosscourt forehand winner while facing three break points early in the second set, ultimately securing a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) victory.
The 28-year-old Fritz holds the seventh position in the world rankings, two spots ahead of Shelton, who recently reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, where he was defeated by Jannik Sinner in straight sets.
Fritz, a ten-time ATP Tour champion, and Shelton have each won one match in their initial two encounters. Shelton has claimed three titles on the tour.
“Are you guys telling me that’s the final you want to see?” Shelton inquired, eliciting cheers from the audience at the indoor football stadium, which also serves as the practice field for the Dallas Cowboys at their club headquarters. “I’m super-excited for that matchup.”
Shelton rallied from a set down for the second consecutive match, having previously defeated Miomir Kecmanovic in the quarterfinals.
The 23-year-old found himself down a set and facing three break points at 1-1 in the second when the crosscourt winner propelled him forward. He later had two set points on the serve of the seventh-seeded Shapovalov, converting the second to push the match into a deciding set.
Shelton clinched the victory by winning three of the last four points in the tiebreaker, finishing with another forehand winner.
Fritz had three set points in the first tiebreaker and three match points in the second against the unseeded Cilic.
The 2024 US Open finalist wrapped up the first set with his third consecutive ace after Cilic saved two set points.
One of Cilic’s eight double faults—Fritz did not record any—provided Fritz with an early opportunity in the second tiebreaker. Fritz secured his first match point when the 2014 US Open champion’s service return sailed long.
The 37-year-old Cilic utilized his powerful serve to navigate through several challenging situations in a match that featured 38 aces. Cilic, aiming for his 600th career singles victory, saved all five break points he faced, while Fritz did not encounter any in his third win out of four meetings with Cilic.
Source: espn.com
