WASHINGTON — There wasn’t an open seat in sight inside the 7,500-seat main stadium at Rock Creek Tennis Center for Friday night’s quarterfinal match between American stars Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe.

The eighth- and 11th-ranked players on the ATP Tour, respectively, each sought their second straight Mubadala Citi DC Open semifinal appearance.

Shelton entered the fourth meeting between the talented young Americans with a 2-1 advantage, including a split of two thrilling U.S. Open matchups. The 22-year-old Shelton was utterly dominant in his first two matches of the tournament, punishing opponents with blistering serves and thunderous ground strokes. Meanwhile, Tiafoe grinded out a three-set win over Aleksandar Kovacevic in his first match and controlled his Round of 16 victory against Flavio Cobolli with a consistent performance.

Friday night’s quarterfinal was the toughest and most grueling matchup for both players, which was to be expected given their history. In a neck-and-neck battle throughout, Shelton elevated his game in the most critical moments.

The two-time Grand Slam semifinalist rattled off six straight points to win the first-set tiebreak and earned a critical break midway through the second set, which proved to be the difference in the 7-6 (2), 6-4 win. The No. 4 seed Shelton will either face fellow American and top seed Taylor Fritz or the No. 12 seed, Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, in the semifinals Saturday night.

“I think obviously this court does a lot for my serve,” Shelton said. “The ability to get the ball out of the zone is huge, especially against a guy like Foe who is so good in the pocket. So, my ability for my flat serves not only to be coming in at 145 [mph] but also rising above his shoulders is huge. Second serve, too. He’s one of the best in the world when he’s locked in, attacking second serves and making you feel like you’re on the back foot, taking a second serve and coming to the net.”

Tiafoe executed several strong returns at 5-5 in the first set, orchestrating the first break of the match. However, Shelton answered right back to force the tiebreak and quickly gained momentum. Shelton acknowledged that he’s a much better returner in the games after he’s broken, and that showed up in Friday’s quarterfinal.

Facing a 2-1 deficit in the tiebreak, Shelton ripped a scorching 143 mph serve that Tiafoe was unable to handle. He followed that up on the next point with an emphatic forehand winner to regain the lead, and he never looked back.

“Yeah, just passive, man,” Tiafoe, a two-time semifinalist at the U.S. Open, said of his performance. “Missed a backhand cross at 6-5, 30-all that I just never miss. A long point, but still I’m on the defense in that rally, and he hit a quality shot, played a great breaker.

“Look, he’s a top player; I’m a top player. The window of opportunity is very small. I didn’t take it.”

While Tiafoe’s first-serve rate outpaced Shelton’s in the first set, 63% to 56%, he didn’t pack the same firepower after that. Tiafoe made just 46% of his first serves in the second set, which put his back against the wall. Shelton was aggressive throughout and frequently attacked Tiafoe’s second serve.

As a result, he faced seven break points in the second set, including several in a game at 3-3 that featured five deuce points. Tiafoe double faulted to give Shelton the break and all the separation he needed.

Conversely, Shelton’s serve was firing on all cylinders in the second set. Widely regarded as one of the best servers on tour, Shelton won 100% of his first-serve points and 73% on his second in that deciding set, a stark contrast from Tiafoe, who won just 40% of his second-serve points.

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“I just continued playing,” Shelton said. “You know, I got some second-serve looks on his game points, which I played freely and aggressive and was able to capitalize. And then, you know, I played the deuce points well, but I was just trying to stay there, stay steady.

“Obviously, he’s feeling the pressure. His back’s against the wall, and I know how well I’m returning and playing in that moment. So, you know how much pressure you’re putting on a guy when they have to save, you know, five or six break points and you’re making every return, and they’ve got to come up with the goods over and over, because I feel the same thing against him a lot.”

For Tiafoe, a Hyattsville native and product of the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, there’s lingering disappointment of once again not fulfilling the ultimate goal of winning his hometown tournament in his ninth appearance. For Shelton, it’s a quick turnaround before Saturday night’s match and an opportunity to move one step closer to his first singles final in Washington and third ATP title.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Steinberg at jsteinberg@baltsun.com, 443-442-9445 and x.com/jacobstein23.

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