Saturday's semi-final at the Swiss Indoors tournament has thrown up a mouthwatering encounter between Ben Shelton and Arthur Fils.
The friends and doubles partners battle on the ATP Tour for the third time, with the American eager to get one over the Frenchman after a recent loss in Tokyo a month ago.
Match preview
© Imago
Shelton and Fils may have been eliminated in the doubles competition in Basel on Thursday, but both players notched impressive quarter-final wins the following day over Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, respectively.
Even though the United States player sometimes lived dangerously against his Russian opponent and top seed at the ATP 500 event, he saved all six breakpoint opportunities the 27-year-old conjured and took two of his to claim a 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4 win in a tight last-eight battle.
Having thwarted all five break chances Stanislas Wawrinka engineered in the second round, the 22-year-old's booming serve and aggressive style have seen him advance to the last four in Basel in his first appearance at the event.
Fresh off his fifth career win over a top-10 player at a first at an ATP event since defeating Jannik Sinner in Shanghai last year, Shelton aims to advance to a title match in Switzerland to have a shot at a third tour-level victory.
© Imago
That eventuality requires him to defeat an in-form Fils, who dispatched Tsitsipas in two to progress to a fourth semi-final on tour in 2024.
The Frenchman's 7-6(5), 6-3 triumph over the Greek player was his 35th of the season, as he bids for another hard-court success after a recent victory in Tokyo, where he defeated Shelton en route to the title during the Asian swing.
Fils has not dropped a set this week and has lost serve just twice en route to facing his American doubles partner, whom he aims to record consecutive victories against after September's triumph at the Japan Open.
If he plays as cleanly on serve as he did against Tsitsipas, against whom he gave no openings on his deliveries, those chances will be enhanced in Saturday's semi-final.
The 20-year-old enters the Swiss indoors last-four match on a 2-0 run in semis since Alejandro Tabilo beat him in Auckland at the start of the year, and the French player aims to improve that streak at Shelton's expense.
Tournament so far
Ben Shelton:
First round: vs. Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3 6-4
Second round: vs. Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6(2) 7-5
Quarter-final: vs. Andrey Rublev 7-5 6-7(3) 6-4
Arthur Fils:
First round: vs. Pedro Martinez 7-5 6-3
Second round: vs. Daniel Altmaier 7-6(5) 6-3
Quarter-final: vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6(5) 6-3
Head To Head
Japan Open (2024) - Quarter-final: Fils 7-5 6-7(5) 7-6(2)
Laver Cup (2023) - Round Robin: Shelton 7-6(4) 6-1
Shelton defeated Fils at last year's Laver Cup in straights, but the Frenchman got his revenge in a fiercely contested three-setter at last month's Japan Open.
That match-up featured a pair of tiebreaks, and Saturday's battle could witness another if both players serve as impressively.
The victor will go 2-1 in their head-to-head.
We say: Shelton to win in three sets
While Shelton's post-match braggadocio entering the semis in Basel is no indicator of the last-four match going his way, the American's motivation to avenge that loss in Tokyo and adeptness on the big points this week stand him in good stead against Fils.
This battle between friends could go either way, but we are backing the 22-year-old to advance to Sunday's title match.
