The top two seeds will face off at the 250-level event.
American Ben Shelton has advanced to the final of the ATP tournament in Stuttgart. The world No. 5 defeated Czech Jiri Lehecka in a hard-fought, evenly matched battle in which every set was decided in a tiebreak, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (16-14), 7-6 (8-6) and will face his compatriot Taylor Fritz in Sunday’s final (2:00 p.m./Sky). The final of the 250-level event is thus not only an all-American affair but also a clash between the tournament’s top two seeds.
Fritz, for his part, had already secured his spot in the final earlier in the afternoon against Alexander Bublik (Kazakhstan) in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. For the 28-year-old, this is his second final of the year; in February, he reached the final of the 500-level event in Dallas.
Ironically, it was there that the world No. 9 also faced Shelton, who is five years his junior, and lost 6-3, 3-6, 5-7—so this is a chance for a rematch. But even in their head-to-head record, the 23-year-old Shelton has the edge with two wins in three meetings.
