Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime achieved a significant comeback win at the ATP Finals by defeating Ben Shelton of the United States with a score of 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5 in Turin, Italy. This victory leveled Auger-Aliassime’s standing at 1-1 in the prestigious year-end men’s tennis tournament.
The Canadian, aged 25, entered the match following a previous loss to Italy’s Jannik Sinner in a 7-5, 6-1 encounter. Auger-Aliassime faced challenges against Shelton, coming close to defeat in the second-set tiebreak. Despite this, he managed to turn the match around, marking his fourth comeback victory in the last eight matches and extending his unbeaten record against Shelton to 2-0.
Reflecting on his performance, Auger-Aliassime acknowledged Shelton’s strong start but emphasized his own resilience and ability to find his rhythm as the match progressed. With 20 wins in matches that go the distance, he leads the ATP Tour in this category.
In the upcoming match, Auger-Aliassime is set to compete against Alexander Zverev, with the opportunity to advance to the semifinals with a win. In contrast, Shelton’s 0-2 record confirms his elimination from the group stage, with a final match against Sinner awaiting him.
Sinner secured his spot in the semifinals with a convincing 6-4, 6-3 victory over Zverev, who now holds a 1-1 record. Auger-Aliassime, participating in his second ATP Finals appearance, previously caused an upset by defeating Rafael Nadal in 2022 but fell short of advancing after losing his remaining group stage matches.
During the match, Shelton displayed moments of dominance, initially securing a break in the first set. However, a lapse in his performance allowed Auger-Aliassime to stage a comeback. Shelton’s frustration was evident when he received a code violation warning for his racket misconduct. Despite brief setbacks, Auger-Aliassime maintained his composure and ultimately clinched the victory by breaking Shelton in the final game of the decider on his third match point.