Shelton outwits hometown hope Van Assche to reach Paris Masters final

PARIS, Nov 7 - World number four Ben Shelton shook off a first-set stumble to beat local favourite Luca Van Assche 5-7 6-3 6-4 and go into the Paris Masters final on Saturday, reaching the third ATP 1000 final of his career.

US Open finalist Shelton netted twice from the baseline and hit a forehand wide as Van Assche, ranked 47th in the world, took the only break in the first set to go 6-5 up amid roaring support from his hometown crowd, backed by drum beats and chants.

But the third seed, who was undone by his 17 unforced errors in the first set, found his rhythm in the second. He dragged the 22-year-old Frenchman into long rallies to force mistakes and broke to go 4-2 up, a lead that secured the set.

Shelton looked shaky early in the third set, landing wide twice as Van Assche took a 3-1 lead with a break. But the American turned the tide back in his favour, winning the next four games while Van Assche struggled with double faults and netted forehands.

The 24-year-old is the first American to reach the Paris Masters final since Jack Sock won it in 2017. Shelton will hope to clinch his third ATP 1000 title on Sunday, having won the Canadian Open twice.

World number three Carlos Alcaraz was facing Casper Ruud in the second semi-final later on Saturday. REUTERS