No.1 seed Shelton reeled off a three-set victory over No. 4 seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-7(7-4), 6-4, 6-4 in 2 hours and 29 minutes. Both players are known for their towering first serves, but it was Shelton who capitalised on the break opportunities on Saturday night.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In addition to firing seven aces and winning 84% of his first serves, he was successful in converting three of four break points on Etcheverry\u2019s serve. With Saturday\u2019s three-set victory, Shelton improves to 7-2 in three-set matches this year in the best-of-3 format.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Saturday\u2019s win marks a few career milestones for the 21-year-old American - his second ATP Tour final and a return to his career-high ranking of No. 15. Moreover, for once clay-averse Shelton, who finished 2-7 during his inaugural clay season in 2023, it will be his first ATP clay court final on the red dirt at River Oaks, according to the information on tournaments website.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Meanwhile, in the second semifinal, Tiafoe defeated Italian Luciano Darderi 6-2, 7-6 (7-2). The win marks Tiafoe\u2019s seventh consecutive victory at River Oaks, where he now has a 10-4 (71%) lifetime record.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It is also the first time he has won three consecutive matches since last September at the 2023 U.S. Open, where he lost to Shelton in a four-set quarterfinal affair under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium.<\/p>\r\n\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2024\/04\/shelton-and-tiafoe-set-up-all-american-clash-in-houston-final.jpg", "alt_img": "Shelton and Tiafoe set up all-American clash in Houston final", "alt_title": "Shelton and Tiafoe set up all-American clash in Houston final", "image1": null, "video": null, "seo_title": "Shelton And Tiafoe Set Up All-American Clash In Houston Final On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "Shelton And Tiafoe Set Up All-American Clash In Houston Final, Americans Ben Shelton: Americans Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe prevailed in their respective semifinals to set up an all-American final.", "seo_keywords": "Americans Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, US Men, Clay Court Championships, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, With Saturday, ATP Tour, River Oaks, Italian Luciano Darderi, Arthur Ashe Stadium", "tag": "", "tagging": "Americans Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, US Men, Clay Court Championships, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, With Saturday, ATP Tour, River Oaks, Italian Luciano Darderi, Arthur Ashe Stadium", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": null, "slug": "shelton-and-tiafoe-set-up-all-american-clash-in-houston-final", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "0", "ians_date": null, "ians_time": null, "server_time": null, "trash": "0", "view_count": "901", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "0", "created": "2024-04-07 11:32:03", "updated": "2024-04-07 11:32:03", "img_from": "Image Source: IANS", "img_source": null, "schedule_publish": null, "news_keywords": "Americans Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, US Men, Clay Court Championships, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, With Saturday, ATP Tour, River Oaks, Italian Luciano Darderi, Arthur Ashe Stadium", "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "1", "google_feed": "1", "read_more": "0", "posted_by": "23", "jio_date": "2024-04-07 11:32:03", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "0", "breaking_news": "0", "google_date": null, "featured": "0", "sports_name": "tennis", "cnmid": "888071", "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/sports-news\/shelton-and-tiafoe-set-up-all-american-clash-in-houston-final-14427" }