Ben Shelton beat Tommy Paul 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the Paris Masters quarterfinals on November 6, advancing to the last four after one hour and 45 minutes. The tournament's official report said Shelton became the first American man to reach the Paris semifinals since Jack Sock in 2017.
It was the first meeting between the two Americans since 2024. Paul responded to losing the opening set, but Shelton secured a decisive break in the third and protected that advantage through the finish.
How the three sets unfolded
According to the tournament, neither player faced a break point until Shelton led 5-4 in the first set. In the tenth game Paul made two unforced errors, and Shelton took the set 6-4 with a forehand return winner.
Paul responded early in the second set, breaking at his first opportunity and moving ahead 2-0 and then 3-1. Shelton served eight aces in the set but could not recover the break, as Paul levelled the match 6-4.
The decisive opening came in the fourth game of the third set. A double fault and two unforced errors from Paul helped Shelton gain the advantage. The tournament report said Shelton remained steady on serve and closed out the set 6-3.
The route to the quarterfinal
Sài Gòn Giải Phóng had reported that Shelton defeated Arthur Rinderknech 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) in the third round, winning five of the last six points in the deciding tie-break. Paul reached the quarterfinal by beating Quentin Halys 7-6 (7-3), 6-4.
The tournament said Shelton had already qualified for the ATP Finals for the second time, following his first appearance in 2025. Its report said the loss ended Paul's route to Turin. It did not name Shelton's semifinal opponent.