TORONTO — Under the moonlight at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, Ben Shelton produced one of the most illuminating performances of his career. Big serve, quick movement, and variety of shot and thought were all on display as the world No. 7 defeated compatriot Taylor Fritz, 6-4, 6-3, in one hour and 18 minutes Wednesday night to advance to the Canadian Open final.

No delay to begin the match was going to stop Shelton, 22, from reaching his first ATP Masters 1,000 final, another milestone in his blossoming career.

“The Masters were the one level of tournaments that I’ve been struggling with, and my next step is being able to excel in these tournaments,” Shelton said. “So taking that first step and getting my first deep run under my belt is exciting.”

There was great anticipation for this contest. The two friends hadn’t met since 2023 at Indian Wells, where Fritz won a close three-setter in the second round en route to capturing the tournament. Shelton was a rookie on tour then. The stage doesn’t feel too big for the American youngster two years later, on the cusp of his biggest tournament win.

To add to the drama, the match began with a 15-minute delay. A technical issue with the electronic line system forced the players to leave the court. The stoppage was brief, and soon their showdown would begin in front of the Toronto crowd.

There were tense moments for Shelton to start the match. In his first service game, Shelton faced two break points. He delivered a 118 mph unreturnable serve. Then, after a 15-shot rally on the second break point, Fritz sent a forehand long. Shelton held and was never broken for the rest of the set.

At 4-4, Shelton was dictating the pace of the points, forcing Fritz to defend behind the baseline. Like his previous round win against Alex de Minaur, it was Shelton owning the long rallies with deep groundstrokes and punitive slices. Fritz committed back-to-back errors, leading to break point. Shelton connected on a forehand winner that went behind Fritz, giving him the first break of the match. After two winners on the subsequent service game, Shelton claimed the one-set advantage.

“I think for me it was about keeping him moving, keeping him off balance,” Shelton said on his game plan tonight. “Mixing up the way that I play, but playing within my limits, and being really solid. My execution was really, really good tonight.”

The dominant Fritz serve, broken just three times in four matches, was in trouble. Shelton was not afraid to be aggressive and control the points when needed, and he returned with consistency, something that he does not always find easy. At 2-2, Shelton won points of 16 and 14 shots to get the second break of the match. The break point was notable as Shelton brought Fritz forward and punished him with a lob. The crowd cheered before Shelton motioned for them to get louder. He sensed the finish line was near.

Ben Shelton, YOU CANNOT DO THAT! 🪄@NBOtoronto | #NBO25 | @BenShelton pic.twitter.com/whvgRCRm17

— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 7, 2025

On match point, Fritz tossed his third double fault, getting broken for a third time before breaking his racquet in half. After congratulatory remarks at the net, Shelton smiled to his team and waved to the crowd. Cheers of “Let’s go, Ben” rang throughout the stadium, supporting the American after this emphatic victory. He is the youngest Masters 1,000 finalist since fellow American Andy Roddick in 2004.

Shelton’s opponent in the final is Karen Khachanov. The Russian outlasted top seed Alexander Zverev, saving a match point before winning 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(4) in two hours and 52 minutes. Khachanov is attempting to win his second ATP Masters 1,000 title, after being victorious at the Paris Masters in 2018.

“It’s a tough match,” Shelton said. “He’s a rock-solid baseliner, serves really well, and a great competitor.”

As Shelton served for the first set, a fan yelled, “This is your time!” He rises to No. 5 in the live rankings following Wednesday’s win. In less than 24 hours, the time could be Shelton’s to capture his maiden Masters 1000 trophy, the potential beginning of a successful North American summer.

(Photo of Ben Shelton: Julian Avram / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)