Ben Shelton to face Tomás Etcheverry in semis of US Clay Court Championship

NEW YORK: US top seed Ben Shelton advanced to his first ATP clay semifinal on Friday, edging countryman Brandon Nakashima 7-5, 7-6(9) at the US Clay Court Championship.

Shelton, a 21-year-old left-hander from Atlanta, won his only ATP title at last October’s Japan Open, but hopes to duplicate the feat on clay in the Houston, Texas, event. It took five match points for Shelton, who won all seven break points he faced, to finally subdue Nakashima after two hours and 13 minutes.

Next up for Shelton will be Argentine fourth seed Tomás Etcheverry, who advanced 6-3, 0-1 when US opponent Michael Mmoh retired from the match.

Etcheverry was a finalist at last year’s US Clay Courts, falling to American Frances Tiafoe in two tie-breakers in the championship match.

Italy’s unseeded Luciano Darderi booked a semifinal berth by upsetting US seventh seed Marcos Giron 6-0, 6-4.

Darderi will next face third-seeded Tiafoe, who defeated Australian sixth seed Jordan Thompson 7-6(8), 6-4. Agencies

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