Auger-Aliassime overcomes 'weird start' to beat Shelton
Felix Auger-Aliassime put a "weird start" aside to beat Ben Shelton and register his first victory of this year's ATP Finals.
Canada's Auger-Aliassime came back from a mixed first set to beat the big-serving American 4-6 7-6 (9-7) 7-5 in Turin.
The 25-year-old was increasingly impressive on serve and showed no signs of the calf problem that hampered him in his opening group-match loss to Jannik Sinner.
Eighth seed Auger-Aliassime's victory means Italy's Sinner will qualify for the semi-finals if he beats Alexander Zverev later on Wednesday.
Germany's Zverev will only advance if he beats Sinner in straight sets.
Auger-Aliassime quickly found himself 4-1 down in the first set, with Shelton putting the serve and volley to good use, but he broke back as his opponent served for the set.
However, a poor service game handed the initiative – and the opener – to fifth seed Shelton.
Shelton had the only break point of the second set but an increasingly confident Auger-Aliassime saved it, before clinching the tie-breaker on a wild double fault from Shelton.
A tight third set was also decided on the Shelton serve, with Auger-Aliassime converting his third match point.
"He was playing much better than me at the start," Auger-Aliassime said.
"It was a weird start, but as the match went on I was finding ways to put returns in the court."
In the doubles, British pair Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski beat Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara to move within touching distance of the semi-finals.
Salisbury and Skupski beat Britain's Patten and his Finnish partner 7-6 (9-7) 3-6 10-7.
