Ben Shelton has won the all-American quarterfinal at the Paris Masters against Tommy Paul 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. The world number four advances to the semifinal, while Tommy Paul's tournament — and his hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin — are over.
Shelton exploits weaknesses in the first set
Benjamin Todd Shelton came out firing and dominated the opening set. He put Tommy Paul's serve under constant pressure, capitalised on weaknesses in Paul's service games, and closed out the set on his own serve at 6-4. His aggressive baseline game set the tone for the match from the outset.
The match statistics underlined Shelton's commanding performance. He struck 19 aces and won 93 percent of his service games. With 82 percent of his first serves finding the court, he was able to dictate the terms of many short, sharp exchanges.
Tommy Paul levels in the second set
The second set told a different story. Shelton generated almost no pressure on return, while Tommy Paul converted his opportunities on serve far more consistently. The 29-year-old Thomas John Robert Paul stayed composed and levelled the match by taking the set 6-4.
Paul was particularly impressive on first-serve points, winning 85 percent of them. Shelton found far fewer answers against his compatriot's serve than he had in the opening set. The set remained open for a long time before Paul closed it out with authority.
Shelton takes the deciding set
In the deciding third set, Shelton raised his level again. The third-seeded American was more aggressive than he had been in the second and did not repeat the lapses that had cost him that set. Powering from the baseline, he won the set 6-3 to seal his place in the semifinal.
Shelton also showed high efficiency at the net, winning 91 percent of his net approach points. Tommy Paul finished the match with 21 winners to Shelton's 35. The unforced error count was close — Shelton committed 21, Paul 22.
What it means for Shelton and Paul
For both players, a win would have represented a first appearance in the Paris semifinal. Shelton, who came into the week as a US Open finalist, further cemented what has been a remarkable season. He had already posted the best season record of his career in 2026 and had secured his place at the Nitto ATP Finals.
Paul, by contrast, had been under acute pressure. He sat 13th in the live Race standings and would have needed to reach at least ninth. After the match, Shelton leads their head-to-head 3-2. He now continues his Paris campaign in the semifinal.
