A female of his compatriot Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton qualified for the final of the Masters 1000 in Toronto. He will find Karen Khachanov, who had the last word in the face of the number 1 series Alexander Zverev.
Ben Shelton will play his first Masters 1000 final. When he had never done better than a quarter -final in the category, the American made the big leap to Toronto thanks to a success against his compatriot Taylor Fritz. A meeting that first saw the two Americans exchange the missed break balls. The result was a status quo during the first eight games.
It was at this time that the world’s number 7 made a big boost. Managing to convert an opportunity to take the service of his opponent, Ben Shelton was able to hire to win this first round. It only took him an opportunity to get there and win this showdown. The second set saw the two Americans neutralize themselves during the first four games. It was then again the native of Atlanta who made the difference. At the second break ball, he took the service of Taylor Fritz to lead three games for two and race in mind.
The world number 4 not finding the slightest flaw to exploit with his opponent, he saw the games scrolling until serving to stay in the match. Which was not successful. Having the ascendancy in the exchange, Ben Shelton went to get two bullets to end the meeting. What he did in the second (6-4, 6-3 in 1h19 ‘) to ralled the final and his opponent this Friday will be Karen Khachanov.
Khachanov takes control of Zverev
Indeed, the Russian deprived Alexander Zverev of the possibility of exploiting the absences of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz to expand his record. A first balanced meeting which saw the world 16th seize the first and the only opportunity to take the service of the German to run in mind in the first round. Karen Khachanov then patiently waited for the time to serve for the gain in the set in order to take hands on the display board.
The second round was an show of iron at all times between the two players, who did not leave the slightest breach that can be used by the other. The result was a chain of nine games without the slightest break ball. But, when engaging to stay in the set, the Russian trembled. Feeling that there was something to do, Alexander Zverev raised his tone and a white game allowed him to equalize a round everywhere. The reaction of the world 16th was immediate but incomplete. Thus, he had two break balls very early in this last set but without converting them.
At the gates of the tiebreak, it was the German who almost won the bet with a match ball on opposing service but without success. After winning three of the first four points in the decisive game, Alexander Zverev lost foot. Concating six of the following seven exchanges, he saw the final escape him while Karen Khachanov converted his second match ball (6-3, 4-6, 7-6 in 2h55 ‘). Seven years after its title in Paris-Bercy at the expense of Novak Djokovic, the Russian will thus compete in its second final in Masters 1000.
