Auger-Aliassime channels grit for vital Turin comeback
Deep in the Nitto ATP Finals pressure, Felix Auger-Aliassime clawed back from the edge against Ben Shelton, his indoor savvy igniting a rally that revives semifinal chances in Turin.
Under the bright lights of Turin's Pala Alpitour, Felix Auger-Aliassime absorbed Ben Shelton's early onslaught, his baseline resilience tested on the slick indoor hard courts. The 25-year-old Canadian, fresh off an injury concern in his opener, dropped the first set 4-6 after two breaks, a rare lapse where his returns usually thrive. As the match pushed past two hours, subtle adjustments in footwork and shot selection began to erode the American's aggressive edge, setting the stage for a gripping turnaround.
Shelton's surge meets steady resistance
Shelton's serve-and-volley rushes dominated the opening exchanges, his first serves topping 130 mph and forcing Auger-Aliassime into defensive crosscourt replies. The American's power pinned the Canadian deep, disrupting one–two patterns and limiting inside-out forehands that could open the court. Yet Auger-Aliassime stayed composed, using underspin chips to neutralize net approaches and extend rallies where Shelton's aggression sometimes faltered into errors.
He reflected afterward on the uneven start.
“He was playing much better than me at the start,” Auger-Aliassime said. “It’s not often that I get broken twice in the first set indoors… It was a weird start, but as the match went on I was finding ways to put returns in the court. Once we engaged in the rallies, I felt like I could win more. You just have to fight, believe, and play the next point the right way.”
Comeback @felixtennis flips the script on Shelton and becomes the second man to record 40 hard-court wins this season!#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/UY0IizKaCO
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 12, 2025
Tiebreak tension flips the momentum
The second-set tiebreak crystallized the shift, with Auger-Aliassime trailing 3-6 before Shelton slipped on a wide serve and double-faulted on set point, handing the Canadian a lifeline. Seizing the moment, he unleashed flat backhands down the line and deep returns to level at 7-6(7), his movement fluid despite the earlier Sinner scare. This rally echoed his season's clutch form, marking his Tour-leading 20th deciding-set win and pushing his hard-court victories to 40, second only on tour.
Crowd energy swelled in the arena, their cheers amplifying Auger-Aliassime's resolve as he drew on a decade of indoor dominance—84 wins on these surfaces. Shelton's frustration mounted, mirroring his prior collapse against Alexander Zverev in the Bjorn Borg Group, where a 6-3 tiebreak lead evaporated in five straight points. The American's net game, potent early, exposed cracks under prolonged pressure, allowing the Canadian to redirect patterns with inside-in forehands.
Decider breakthrough secures group hopes
Into the third, Auger-Aliassime's serving groove took hold, varying placement to corners and holding with aces that evaded Shelton's returns. At 5-5, a deep crosscourt backhand forced the break, sealing the 7-5 finish after two hours and 25 minutes and improving his head-to-head to 2-0. Physically sharp, he silenced doubts from the Jannik Sinner loss, moving freely to counter the relentless pressure.
“I felt great, physically. We recovered well, did the right things,” Auger-Aliassime noted. “Today I was able to play two-and-a-half hours of high-intensity tennis. I have to give him credit, he kept coming up with great serves. When the opponent plays that well, you have to give him credit, but also to myself for staying cool.”
Now 1-1 in the group after the defending champion's earlier defeat, Auger-Aliassime eyes Friday's clash with Zverev, his No. 8 ranking bolstered by this resilience. Shelton drops to 0-2 on debut, ruing tiebreak lapses that underscore the fine margins at the Nitto ATP Finals. For the Canadian, this win weaves his mental fortitude into the tournament's narrative, positioning him to chase that elusive semifinal spot with renewed momentum on these swift courts.
