Carlos Alcaraz advanced to his third final since the US Open with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Casper Ruud at the Paris Masters. The No. 2 seed will face No. 3 Ben Shelton, who rallied from a break down to defeat Luca Van Assche 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. Alcaraz leads the head-to-head 3-1 but lost their last meeting in a 3:33 a.m. US Open quarterfinal marathon. "I really want to take revenge against Ben," Alcaraz said, noting he'll adjust at key moments.
Having saved two match points against Taylor Fritz Friday, Alcaraz faced no break points versus Ruud, closing with an ace. He seeks his fifth title of the year (after Vienna) and 29th career title. Shelton, the US Open runner-up, targets his fifth title of the year, eighth overall, and third Masters 1000 crown (Montreal x2).
Van Assche, playing his first Masters semifinal, held a 3-1 third-set lead before Shelton won four straight games, finishing with his 19th ace.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing