Ben Shelton fought back from a set down to beat home favourite Luca Van Assche 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday and reach the Paris Masters final, where he will meet Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday. The American world number four reached the third ATP 1000 final of his career at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre.
Shelton is the first American to reach the Paris Masters final since Jack Sock won the title in 2017. The 24-year-old will now chase his third ATP 1000 title, having won the Canadian Open twice.
Van Assche takes the first set
Van Assche, ranked 47th in the world, made the stronger start in front of a loud home crowd. Shelton netted twice from the baseline and hit a forehand wide as the 22-year-old Frenchman took the only break of the set to move 6-5 ahead.
The crowd backed Van Assche with drum beats and chants as he served out the set 7-5 in 55 minutes. He won 39 of the 76 points played in the opener, and Shelton’s 17 unforced errors in the set proved costly.
Van Assche was playing in the biggest match of his young career. His only career title so far came this year on outdoor clay at Estoril in Portugal.
Shelton fights back to reach the Paris Masters final
Shelton found his rhythm in the second set. He drew Van Assche into long rallies and forced errors from the Frenchman before breaking serve to take a 4-2 lead. He closed out the set 6-3 in 37 minutes to force a decider.
The third set started badly for the American. He landed wide twice as Van Assche broke serve and moved 3-1 ahead. But Shelton turned the match around again, winning four games in a row while Van Assche struggled with double faults and netted forehands.
Shelton brought up two match points and sealed his place in the final at the second attempt. It was his sixth tour-level final of the season.
Alcaraz awaits in the final
World number two Carlos Alcaraz beat Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 in the second semi-final later on Saturday to reach his first Paris Masters final. The Spaniard needed one hour and 27 minutes to get past the Norwegian.
Alcaraz has now reached the final at seven of the nine ATP Masters 1000 events on the calendar. It will be his 11th Masters final. He saved two match points against Taylor Fritz in the quarter-final on Friday to keep his Paris run alive.
“Either way, it is a really tough match-up, two guys who are playing really good tennis right now,” Shelton said after his win. “Carlos speaks for himself winning the title last week in Vienna, he’s playing great indoor tennis and entertaining tennis as well.”
Sunday’s final will be a repeat of a recent big-stage meeting. Shelton beat Alcaraz in the quarter-finals of this year’s US Open, where the American went on to reach the final.
What the final means for Shelton
A win on Sunday would give Shelton his third Masters 1000 title and his biggest win since his two Canadian Open triumphs in Montreal. It would also cap a strong season in which he has reached six finals.
For Alcaraz, the title would complete a notable Paris breakthrough. He had never reached the final at this event before this week, despite winning seven Grand Slam titles.
The final is the last Masters 1000 event of the season before the ATP Finals in Turin, which begin next Sunday. Geo Super reported the semi-final result on Saturday.
Frequently asked questions
Who will Ben Shelton face in the Paris Masters final?
Carlos Alcaraz, who beat Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 in the second semi-final on Saturday.
What was the score in Shelton’s semi-final?
Shelton beat Luca Van Assche 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 after losing the first set.
When did an American last reach the Paris Masters final?
Jack Sock, who won the title in 2017. Shelton is the first American to reach the final since then.
How many ATP 1000 titles has Shelton won?
Two, both at the Canadian Open in Montreal. A win on Sunday would give him a third.
