Top-seeded Fritz to face Shelton for Dallas Open title

[p]American top seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fritz-taylor/UH09iaZ6/"]Taylor Fritz[/a], ranked seventh in the world, reached his 20th career ATP final and first since last September's Japan Open after he blasted 22 aces to defeat Croatian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cilic-marin/nLoK5syL/"]Marin Cilic[/a] 7-6(5), 7-6(3).[/p][p][b]"I did a really good job just holding serve, getting through a lot of those games,"[/b] said Fritz, who never faced a break point.[/p][p][b]"I think I generated good opportunities to grab a break on him, but he played really well, served really well on all the break points."[/b][/p][p]Fritz seeks an 11th career title and first since collecting his fourth Eastbourne crown last June.[/p][embed guid="d12c2b8e-fed7-466b-a26e-bc1bf9326944" url="https://x.com/atptour/status/2022796173694615958" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cilic-marin/nLoK5syL/"]Cilic[/a], the 37-year-old from Croatia who won the 2014 US Open, fired 16 aces [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/cilic-m-nLoK5syL/fritz-t-UH09iaZ6/?mid=EXCGDx1n"]but also had eight double faults[/a].[/p][p]Fritz will play for the crown on Sunday against the later winner between defending champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shapovalov-denis/zXddgn9o/"]Denis Shapovalov[/a], the seventh seed from Canada, and the second seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shelton-ben/QNuG0Gzb/"]Ben Shelton[/a], ranked ninth in the world.[/p][p]Fritz, the 2024 US Open runner-up, seized a 3-0 lead in the first tie-breaker, served back-to-back aces for a 6-3 edge and closed out the opening set with a blast up the middle for his 14th ace.[/p][p]In the second tie-breaker, Fritz captured the match on his first opportunity when Cilic smacked a service return forehand long.[/p][p][b]"Had to get it done in tie-breakers," [/b]Fritz said.[/p][p][b]"I did a good job of just playing solid points, making a ton of first serves and making him work."[/b][/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="108bf075-7320-41f2-b33f-fddce8d94a2f" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="3ba06a40-9962-45c6-b022-b73e886d9518" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Shelton has a 3-0 record against Shapovalov, winning in 2024 at Wimbledon, Washington and Shanghai.[/p][p]In head-to-head matchups, Fritz is 5-6 against Shapovalov, losing in last year's Dallas round of 16 but winning their most recent meeting last year at Miami, and 1-1 against Shelton, winning at Indian Wells in 2023 but falling in last year's Canada semi-finals.[/p][p][b]"Both players are very dangerous," [/b]Fritz said.[/p][p][b]"Either way, it's going to come down to serving."[/b][/p][h2]Ben Shelton advances[/h2][p]In the other semi-final, Shelton rescued a break point in the 11th game when Shapovalov missed a forehand long as they battled into a deciding tie-breaker.[/p][p]Shelton smashed a forehand winner to seize a 4-3 lead on Shapovalov, then took two points on his serve and won two points later with another sizzling forehand, improving to 4-0 in ATP play against the Canadian - winning the match [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/shapovalov-d-zXddgn9o/shelton-b-QNuG0Gzb/?mid=WQnmRMNH"]4-6, 6-4, 7(7)-6(4)[/a]. [/p][p][b]"There wasn't a big difference,"[/b] Shelton said. [b]"I played clutch in the big points. He had a lot of chances to break serve, and I came up with the goods.[/b][/p][p][b]"He served extremely well, played tough at the baseline. It felt like a freight train coming at you.[/b][/p][p][b]"Happy to get out of that one. I'm not quite sure how I did it."[/b][/p][p]Fritz and Shelton are 1-1 in their ATP rivalry, Fritz winning at Indian Wells in 2023 but losing in last year's Canada semi-finals.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/tennis/atp-singles/dallas/"]Follow the Dallas Open with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p][embed guid="ac8e80a5-da38-4d3c-bf41-b9771bef59b1" url="https://x.com/TennisChannel/status/2022851897334370502?s=20" social-type="twitter" /]