Dallas
Shelton downs ‘freight train’ Shapovalov in Dallas SF thriller, sets Fritz final
Fritz defeated Cilic in the first semi-final
February 15, 2026
Sam Hodde/Getty Images
Ben Shelton beats Denis Shapovalov in a final-set tie-break on Saturday in the Dallas semi-finals.
By Vishakha Khandelwal
Ben Shelton survived a major test from fellow lefty Denis Shapovalov on Saturday at the Nexo Dallas Open, where he prevailed in a final-set tie-break to reach the final. The second seed defeated the defending champion 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4).
“It was a gritty win. A lot of credit to Denis the way he’s playing on this court,” Shelton said. “It’s a freight train coming at you.”
The second-seeded Shelton demonstrated impressive resilience under pressure throughout the clash. He saved 10 of the 11 break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats, including a crucial save with a clutch volley at 2-2 in the second set and another save at 5-5 in the third set. With the win, he took a 4-0 lead in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
Shelton will face top seed Taylor Fritz in the final. This will be the first final between the top two seeds at the tournament since 2018, when top seed Kevin Anderson defeated second seed Sam Querrey in New York, where the tournament was previously held.
“I’ve really made a concerted effort to show up to each tournament this year with the mindset that I want to win it,” Shelton said. “I’m there, each and every match, putting myself in the position that I need to compete at the highest levels.”
Fritz halted the run of a resurgent Marin Cilic in the semi-finals of the Nexo Dallas Open on Saturday.
In a match decided by fine margins, the top seed held his nerve to edge the Croatian 7-6(5), 7-6(3) in a gripping two-hour, two-minute clash, hammering 22 aces past the 37-year-old.
“Just really calm serving. I think that’s the biggest thing when I feel calm and relaxed, I serve well,” Fritz said in his on-court interview.
Both players dominated with big deliveries in a match that featured no breaks. Fritz did not face a break point and struck 22 aces to Cilic’s 16, including four in the first-set tie-break, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Although he failed to convert any of his five break-point chances, Fritz’s composure on serve ultimately made the difference as he won 86 per cent (48/56) of his first-serve points.
“That’s something every tennis player experiences when you’re the one in the opponent’s service games,” Fritz said. “You have some chances, you’re cruising on your service games and all of a sudden they get one break point, you’ll probably win it. You’ll go to the tie-break, all of a sudden some returns came back and I just told myself to be really ready in that tie-break.”
With the win, Fritz took a 3-1 lead in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series and advanced to his first final on home soil after reaching the US Open final in 2024.
Cilic was hoping to reach his first final above the ATP 250 level since winning the Queen’s Club title in 2018. With his semi-final run in Dallas, the Croat is up 18 spots to No. 43 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.
