Ben Shelton Advances to Semi-Finals with Victory Over Tiafoe

Washington, D.C. — Ben Shelton is headed to the semi-finals of the ATP 500 tournament after defeating fellow American Frances Tiafoe 7-6(2), 6-4 on Friday night. The fourth-seeded Shelton showcased his powerful forehand and shot-making skills before a lively crowd at the event.

With this victory, Shelton now advances to his 11th tour-level semi-final, having previously reached this stage in Washington last year. His performance has propelled him to a career-high No. 7 in the PIF ATP Rankings, following his quarter-final success.

In the match, Tiafoe looked set to take control after breaking Shelton at 5-5 in the first set, leading to a tie-break. However, Shelton quickly recovered, managing to assert himself in the tie-break by hitting a notable 144 mph ace, helping him seal the first set.

After a lengthy, tense moment in the second set, Shelton broke Tiafoe’s serve at 3-3, effectively squashing the sixth seed’s hopes. He expressed satisfaction with his victory, mentioning the rivalry: “We know tennis is a long journey… It’s tough not to cheer for a guy like that.”

Next, Shelton is set to face the 12th seed, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who stunned top seed Taylor Fritz in a gripping quarter-final match that lasted over three hours.

Already three wins shy of 100 tour-level victories, Shelton is continuing to target his first title of the season, fully aware of the challenges that lie ahead on the hard courts.