Fritz Battles Past Rublev, Sets Up All-American Showdown with Shelton

Taylor Fritz battles past Rublev to set up an all-American showdown with Ben Shelton in the Toronto Masters semi-finals. Read more about the match.

“The only thing to do is to come back and try to win the set. That's what is able to make it all feel not as bad...”

Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton are set for an all-American showdown in the Toronto Masters semi-finals. Fritz, the second seed, battled past Andrey Rublev with a 6-3, 7-6(4) win, overcoming a late glitch while serving for the match. This marks Fritz's fifth semi-final of the season, showcasing his impressive form.

Their semi-final match is scheduled for Thursday, with Fritz looking to edge Shelton based on their previous encounter. Fritz won their only meeting in three sets at the 2023 Indian Wells Masters. Given their current form, it's likely to be a closely contested match. Fritz has won 19 of his last 22 matches, while Shelton has seen a deciding-set tiebreak in two of his last three matches.

Shelton, meanwhile, has been on a roll, reaching his first Masters 1000 semi-final and becoming the youngest American man to achieve this feat in two decades since Andy Roddick. He defeated Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals, firing down 13 aces and showcasing his underrated rally tolerance.

Match Details:

Date: Thursday, August 7

Time: Approximately 10:10 AM AEST (check local timings)

Event: ATP Toronto, Canada Men's Singles

Round: Semi-finals

You can stream the match live on (link unavailable), with geo-restrictions applying. Fritz is predicted to win, with odds of $1.57 compared to Shelton's $2.37 ⁴.

Big Ben books his 1st career Masters 1000 semifinal ✅ @BenShelton | #NBO25 pic.twitter.com/Bqc8FvJGE5

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) August 6, 2025

The Californian will play for a spot in the Thursday final when he takes on fourth seed Ben Shelton, who won a Masters quarter-final on his fourth attempt, defeating Australian Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4.

Shelton laid down 11 aces in his 91-minute victory and dominated on rallies longer than nine shots. The result ended a seven-match win streak for last week's Washington champion de Minaur.

The Californian will compete for a spot in the Thursday final against fourth seed Ben Shelton. Shelton reached the quarterfinals of a Masters event for the fourth time, defeating Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4. He served 11 aces in his 91-minute win, dominating rallies over nine shots. The victory snapped de Minaur's seven-match winning streak.

“I'm really happy with that performance. It showed mental toughness from start to finish,” Shelton said. “This win gives me a lot of confidence, I'm excited about the semi-final.”

“People often just see me as a server, not much of a grinder, but when I go into lockdown mode and put a lot of balls onto the court, it surprises guys sometimes.

“Winning longer rallies is all part of my evolution.”

The top American soars to the semis 🦅

Taylor Fritz closes out Rublev in straight sets!#NBO25 pic.twitter.com/maYC7XQPi6

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) August 6, 2025

Fritz sealed the win with a serve winner in the second-set tiebreaker, 15 minutes later. He hit a personal-best 20 aces in the match, part of his 29 winners. Fritz now leads Rublev 6-4 in their head-to-head record and has won 19 of his last 22 matches.

Shelton sealed the win with his final ace, setting up three match points and needing just one chance to win. Meanwhile, Fritz struggled with brain freeze while serving for victory at 5-4 in the second set, saving three break points before ultimately losing his serve and trailing 5-4. However, Fritz regrouped and eventually won the tiebreaker 7-4.

”That game was so shaky for me, we had both been holding serve easily, everything felt calm and chill,” he said. “It came out of nowhere, the pressure of that game. It was tight and my brain just turned off.”

“The only thing to do is to come back and try to win the set. That's what is able to make it all feel not as bad.”