Denis Shapovalov won’t be a repeat champion at the Nexo Dallas Open after falling in the semi-finals at the ATP 500 indoor event on Saturday night.
The Canadian, seeded seventh in the tournament, fell 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) to second-seeded Ben Shelton who will now face his compatriot Taylor Fritz in Sunday’s final.
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The 26-year-old Canadian was particularly good returning the American’s notably big serve throughout the match, making Shelton work for his holds each time he stepped to the line. Shapovalov was also able to dictate with his forehand to gain the upper hand in many of the rallies, hitting 21 winners off that wing. Still, he was only able to convert one of his eleven break point opportunities and Shelton secured the decisive mini break at 3-3 in the third set tiebreak to seal a hard-fought victory in a matchup between two of the seven left-handed players currently ranked in the ATP’s Top 50.
It’s Shapovalov’s fourth loss in as many tries against Shelton. He was looking to become the first player to reach back-to-back finals in Dallas since Kei Nishikori won three consecutive titles from 2014-2016 when the tournament was held in Memphis.
Shapovalov defeated three Top 10 players (Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Casper Ruud) en route to last year’s trophy.
Feature photo by: WickPhoto/Nexo Dallas Open
