By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, November 12, 2025Photo credit: European Open Facebook
A strained calf hobbled Felix Auger-Aliassime in his Turin opener.
Today, Auger-Aliassime rode smooth serving, whiplash strikes and a strong closing kick to keep his Turin hopes alive.
Unleashing a flurry of forehands, Auger-Aliassime broke in the final game beating Ben Shelton 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-5 to level his ATP Finals round-robin record at 1-1 in the Bjorn Borg Group.
In a meditative pose, Auger-Alissime sometimes briefly shuts his eyes before returning as if tuning into the internal muse. After winning an explosive battle, Auger-Aliassime erupted in a primal scream of success after winning his 20th decisive set of the year—and first Turin triumph since toppling Rafa Nadal at the 2022 ATP Finals.
“A lot at stake today; firepower type of day,” Auger-Aliassime told Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj in his on-court interview. “Indoors you know what he’s capable of, won tournaments on these type of surfaces. So I knew what I was expecting, but I was backing myself to stay cool under pressure, stay disciplined and make the right choices.
“When it came down to the last few points of every every, I was just trying to make the right play at the right time. Not get excited, not get emotional. If games were going through and I wasn’t getting any chances, just kind of sitting down, relax and focus on holding my serve.”
Auger-Aliassime served 80 percent, out-aced the big-serving Shelton—9 to 7—and won 14 of 19 second serve points in a tense two hour, 25-minute test.
World No. 2 Jannik Sinner, who defeated Auger-Aliassime in his opener, can secure a semifinal spot if he defeats two-time former champion Alexander Zverev in tonight’s round-robin match. Auger-Aliassime raised his 2025 record to 49-23, including 16-4 indoors.
ATP Finals debutant Shelton fought hard, saved five of seven break points, including four of five in the decider, and came up with some key serve-and-volley winning points.
Ultimately, Auger-Aliassime played with more poise and purpose on pivotal points. Down the stretch, Shelton inexplicably continued targeting the Canadian’s stronger forehand wing and netted a drop shot to face a second match point. Perhaps Shelton was trying to open the court attacking the Auger-Aliassime forehand to try to make him defend his weaker backhand wing on the run, but the 6’4” Canadian did a good job guarding the baseline, not giving up much ground, defending his backhand with the slice when stretched and, apart from a nervy patch in the tiebreaker, attacked his forehand with conviction.
It all adds up to a hard-fought win that keeps Auger-Aliassime’s semifinal hopes alive ahead of his final round-robin match against Zverev. At the US Open in September, Auger-Aliassime knocked off three Top 15 seeds in a row—Zverev, Andrey Rublev and Alex de Minaur—for his second Flushing Meadows semifinal where he fell to Sinner in four sets.
Since the start of August, Auger-Aliassime is 19-3 in tiebreakers and has reached quarterfinals or better in six straight tournaments, including finals in Brussels and the Rolex Paris Masters. The Canadian credits clarity—and meditation—for his late-season surge.
“Obviously, a lot of breathing, meditation, trying to just stay as cool as possible under pressure,” Auger-Aliassime. “And just have clear ideas. You know, I think we’re all humans and I think you kind of see blurry at some points when emotions get in. If you can stay clear with your mind, I think that’s when you play your best.
“I was able to do that at times. It doesn’t always fall your way but at least you have no regrets. If I’m able to do that: keep clear on my game plan, keep executing well, then I leave the courts with no regrets.”
In a clash of imposing servers, first-set serve breaks were largely self-inflicted by both men.
Self-sabotage struck the US Open semifinalist in the fourth game. Auger-Aliassime led 30-love when he scattered three errors in a row, including a routine volley into net from on top of net. The gave Shelton a break point. The lefty lashed a forehand return down the line breaking for 3-1 with a firm “Come on!”
Shelton surged through eight straight points building a 4-1 lead.
Serving for the set, the fifth seed tried to attack—including serving-and-volleying twice on second serves—but some poor volleys put him in a double break point hole. Shelton did not do enough with a short volley and Auger-Aliassime swooped in for the pass breaking back in the ninth game.
Back on serve in the 10th game, the Canadian squandered his good fortune with a double fault and errant forehand wrapped around a Shelton backhand winner. That sequence put Auger-Aliassime in a set-point hole.
Shelton snapped back a stretch return, recovered then flashed a forehand winner down the line scoring his second break to take a one-set lead after 36 minutes.
Though Auger-Aliassime served 80 percent, Shelton made him play winning eight of 20 first-serve points on the Canadian’s first serve in the opener.
The server maintained command throughout the second set until the eighth game. Auger-Aliassime spiked a leaping high backhand volley but Shelton ran it down, firing a forehand pass for break point.
Auger-Aliassime banged a big serve down the T to erase it then hammered a forehand winner saving the only break point of the set to forge a 4-all tie.
The volley didn’t need to be THAT good 😮💨@BenShelton #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/uGZJL3wC9F
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 12, 2025
Shelton successfully used the serve-and-volley on second serves salvaging a deuce hold for 6-5. Auger-Aliassime answered with his second love hold of the set to force the crucial second-set tiebreaker.
The ATP’s most successful tiebreak player this season, Auger-Aliassime was armed with a 30-14 tiebreaker record as today’s second-set breaker unfolded.
Shelton netted a volley to cede the immediate mini break. Auger-Aliassime slammed an ace. Then the American crashed to court landing on his left knee while trying to change direction as Auger-Aliassime went up 5-2. Shelton looked gimpy for a couple of points but came back from 4-6 down saving the first set point when his opponent netted a forehand then saving a second set point on an errant pass.
Looking a little tight, Auger-Aliassime smothered a forehand into the middle of the net on his third set point, but gained a fourth set point when Shelton sailed a forehand.
We’re level 👀@felixtennis converts a 4th set point to send us to a decider!#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/8aCyNqTNVe
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 12, 2025
Finally, tiebreak tension haunted the American. Shelton sent his second double fault wide to end the drama as Auger-Aliassime forced a final set after 98 minutes.
In the decider, Shelton elevated his service speed and Auger-Aliassime was nearly untouchable on serve winning 24 of 28 service points without facing a single break point.
When Shelton slapped a forehand into net, the Canadian had double break point in the fourth game. Rearing back, Shelton annihilated two damaging serves, including a 146 mph missile, saving break points and eventually holding for 2-all.
Across the net, Auger-Aliassime ran off 12 consecutive service points then recovered from love-30 down in the 11th game. Auger-Aliassime drew a series of forehand errors holding at 30 for 6-5.
Scoreboard pressure and sketchy shot selection cost Shelton in the 12th game. It was as if he was trying to wrong-foot his opponent playing his lefty forehand down the line to Auger-Aliassime’s forehand.
That tactic did not work well in the end. Shelton saved the first match point with a gutsy second serve wide and denied the second match point with a crackling ace wide.
Challenging the Canadian’s forehand, Shelton paid the price seeing an inside-out forehand whizz by for a third match point. In the ensuing rally, Auger-Aliassime grabbed control with his forehand and never let go drawing one final forehand miss to end a quality contest in two hours, 25 minutes.
