By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, November 12, 2025Photo credit score: European Open Fb
A strained calf hobbled Felix Auger-Aliassime in his Turin opener.
Right this moment, Auger-Aliassime rode clean serving, whiplash strikes and a powerful closing kick to maintain his Turin hopes alive.
Unleashing a flurry of forehands, Auger-Aliassime broke within the ultimate recreation beating Ben Shelton 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-5 to degree his ATP Finals round-robin report at 1-1 within the Bjorn Borg Group.
In a meditative pose, Auger-Alissime typically briefly shuts his eyes earlier than returning as if tuning into the inner muse. After successful an explosive battle, Auger-Aliassime erupted in a primal scream of success after successful his twentieth decisive set of the yr—and first Turin triumph since toppling Rafa Nadal on the 2022 ATP Finals.
“Lots at stake as we speak; firepower kind of day,” Auger-Aliassime instructed Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj in his on-court interview. “Indoors you recognize what he’s able to, gained tournaments on these kind of surfaces. So I knew what I used to be anticipating, however I used to be backing myself to remain cool below stress, keep disciplined and make the precise decisions.
“When it got here all the way down to the previous couple of factors of each each, I used to be simply attempting to make the precise play on the proper time. Not get excited, not get emotional. If video games have been going by way of and I wasn’t getting any probabilities, simply type of sitting down, loosen up and deal with holding my serve.”
Auger-Aliassime served 80 %, out-aced the big-serving Shelton—9 to 7—and gained 14 of 19 second serve factors in a tense two hour, 25-minute take a look at.
World No. 2 Jannik Sinner, who defeated Auger-Aliassime in his opener, can safe a semifinal spot if he defeats two-time former champion Alexander Zverev in tonight’s round-robin match. Auger-Aliassime raised his 2025 report to 49-23, together with 16-4 indoors.
ATP Finals debutant Shelton fought exhausting, saved 5 of seven break factors, together with 4 of 5 within the decider, and got here up with some key serve-and-volley successful factors.
Finally, Auger-Aliassime performed with extra poise and function on pivotal factors. Down the stretch, Shelton inexplicably continued focusing on the Canadian’s stronger forehand wing and netted a drop shot to face a second match level. Maybe Shelton was attempting to open the courtroom attacking the Auger-Aliassime forehand to attempt to make him defend his weaker backhand wing on the run, however the 6’4” Canadian did a great job guarding the baseline, not giving up a lot floor, defending his backhand with the slice when stretched and, other than a nervy patch within the tiebreaker, attacked his forehand with conviction.
All of it provides as much as a hard-fought win that retains Auger-Aliassime’s semifinal hopes alive forward of his ultimate round-robin match in opposition to Zverev. On the US Open in September, Auger-Aliassime knocked off three High 15 seeds in a row—Zverev, Andrey Rublev and Alex de Minaur—for his second Flushing Meadows semifinal the place he fell to Sinner in 4 units.
For the reason that begin of August, Auger-Aliassime is 19-3 in tiebreakers and has reached quarterfinals or higher in six straight tournaments, together with finals in Brussels and the Rolex Paris Masters. The Canadian credit readability—and meditation—for his late-season surge.
“Clearly, a whole lot of respiratory, meditation, attempting to only keep as cool as potential below stress,” Auger-Aliassime. “And simply have clear concepts. You already know, I believe we’re all people and I believe you type of see blurry at some factors when feelings get in. In case you can keep clear along with your thoughts, I believe that’s whenever you play your finest.
“I used to be ready to do this at instances. It doesn’t at all times fall your approach however at the least you haven’t any regrets. If I’m ready to do this: hold clear on my recreation plan, hold executing effectively, then I depart the courts with no regrets.”
In a conflict of imposing servers, first-set serve breaks have been largely self-inflicted by each males.
Self-sabotage struck the US Open semifinalist within the fourth recreation. Auger-Aliassime led 30-love when he scattered three errors in a row, together with a routine volley into web from on prime of web. The gave Shelton a break level. The lefty lashed a forehand return down the road breaking for 3-1 with a agency “Come on!”
Shelton surged by way of eight straight factors constructing a 4-1 lead.
Serving for the set, the fifth seed tried to assault—together with serving-and-volleying twice on second serves—however some poor volleys put him in a double break level gap. Shelton didn’t do sufficient with a brief volley and Auger-Aliassime swooped in for the move breaking again within the ninth recreation.
Again on serve within the tenth recreation, the Canadian squandered his luck with a double fault and errant forehand wrapped round a Shelton backhand winner. That sequence put Auger-Aliassime in a set-point gap.
Shelton snapped again a stretch return, recovered then flashed a forehand winner down the road scoring his second break to take a one-set lead after 36 minutes.
Although Auger-Aliassime served 80 %, Shelton made him play successful eight of 20 first-serve factors on the Canadian’s first serve within the opener.
The server maintained command all through the second set till the eighth recreation. Auger-Aliassime spiked a leaping excessive backhand volley however Shelton ran it down, firing a forehand move for break level.
Auger-Aliassime banged a giant serve down the T to erase it then hammered a forehand winner saving the one break level of the set to forge a 4-all tie.
The volley did not have to be THAT good 😮💨@BenShelton #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/uGZJL3wC9F
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 12, 2025
Shelton efficiently used the serve-and-volley on second serves salvaging a deuce maintain for 6-5. Auger-Aliassime answered along with his second love maintain of the set to pressure the essential second-set tiebreaker.
The ATP’s most profitable tiebreak participant this season, Auger-Aliassime was armed with a 30-14 tiebreaker report as as we speak’s second-set breaker unfolded.
Shelton netted a volley to cede the fast mini break. Auger-Aliassime slammed an ace. Then the American crashed to courtroom touchdown on his left knee whereas attempting to vary path as Auger-Aliassime went up 5-2. Shelton seemed gimpy for a few factors however got here again from 4-6 down saving the primary set level when his opponent netted a forehand then saving a second set level on an errant move.
Trying slightly tight, Auger-Aliassime smothered a forehand into the center of the web on his third set level, however gained a fourth set level when Shelton sailed a forehand.
We’re degree 👀@felixtennis converts a 4th set level to ship us to a decider!#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/8aCyNqTNVe
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 12, 2025
Lastly, tiebreak rigidity haunted the American. Shelton despatched his second double fault large to finish the drama as Auger-Aliassime pressured a ultimate set after 98 minutes.
Within the decider, Shelton elevated his service velocity and Auger-Aliassime was almost untouchable on serve successful 24 of 28 service factors with out going through a single break level.
When Shelton slapped a forehand into web, the Canadian had double break level within the fourth recreation. Rearing again, Shelton annihilated two damaging serves, together with a 146 mph missile, saving break factors and finally holding for 2-all.
Throughout the web, Auger-Aliassime ran off 12 consecutive service factors then recovered from love-30 down within the eleventh recreation. Auger-Aliassime drew a sequence of forehand errors holding at 30 for 6-5.
Scoreboard stress and sketchy shot choice price Shelton within the twelfth recreation. It was as if he was attempting to wrong-foot his opponent enjoying his lefty forehand down the road to Auger-Aliassime’s forehand.
That tactic didn’t work effectively in the long run. Shelton saved the primary match level with a gutsy second serve large and denied the second match level with a crackling ace large.
Difficult the Canadian’s forehand, Shelton paid the worth seeing an inside-out forehand whizz by for a 3rd match level. Within the ensuing rally, Auger-Aliassime grabbed management along with his forehand and by no means let go drawing one ultimate forehand miss to finish a high quality contest in two hours, 25 minutes.
