Tirante stuns Shelton to reach semis in Houston, Tiafoe saves a match point

World No. 83 Thiago Agustin Tirante stunned top seed and 2024 champion Ben Shelton 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 to reach the Fayez Sarofim & Co. US Men’s Clay Court Championship semifinals in Houston on Friday.

The Argentine lost just three games in his opening match of the week against Colton Smith and dropped only two games in the second round against Mackenzie McDonald. Tirante’s confidence showed against Shelton, earning the second Top-10 victory of his career in two hours and 30 minutes.

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The 24-year-old reached a career-high World No. 74 in the ATP Rankings last month and is up to No. 71 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. Two years ago, he beat then-World No. 8 Andrey Rublev on way to his first ATP Tour semifinal in Bastad. Now he is 2-0 against the Top 10 after upsetting World No. 9 Shelton to make his second tour-level semi-final.

Shelton took a medical timeout in the second set to receive treatment from the ATP physiotherapist for an apparent neck or upper back injury. But this year’s Dallas champion battled on and forced his opponent to play special tennis to move on.

Tirante, the six-time ATP Challenger champion, was very aggressive with his forehand to try to take control of baseline rallies, and won 88 per cent of his first-serve points according to Infosys ATP Stats.

An Argentine is guaranteed to make his first ATP Tour final, because earlier in the day Roman Andres Burruchaga ousted third seed Learner Tien 7-5, 6-4.

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Like Tirante, Burruchaga is trying to make his maiden tour-level championship match. The World No. 77 won 42 per cent of his return points against Tien and converted three of his four break points.

2023 champion Frances Tiafoe saved one match point on way to a 3-6, 6-5, 7-6(6) triumph over Alexei Popyrin. Pics: ATP Tour

In a thriller to end the evening, 2023 champion Frances Tiafoe saved one match point on way to a 3-6, 6-5, 7-6(6) triumph over Alexei Popyrin. The American fought off defeat at 5/6 in the third-set tie-break to improve to 8-1 in deciding sets this season.

The second seed has reached three consecutive Houston finals and will try to make it four against in-form countryman Tommy Paul. The fourth seed ousted sixth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-4, 6-2.

Paul leads Tiafoe 3-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, with their most recent clash coming two years ago in Delray Beach. Paul won that semifinal 6-2, 6-2.