ATP Tour

Shelton's big move: From Toronto to Turin?

Ben Shelton has made a big move in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin after winning his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Toronto.

The 22-year-old American has surged to fourth in the Live Race, putting himself firmly into Nitto ATP Finals qualification contention. Shelton, who is 32-16 on the year, is trying to earn his spot at the year-end championships for the first time.

PIF ATP Live Race To Turin

The lefty has been in red-hot form since the start of Wimbledon. He reached the quarters at the grass-court major, the semi-finals in Washington and then lifted his third and biggest tour-level trophy in Toronto.

Third-placed Alexander Zverev and sixth-placed Taylor Fritz are also well positioned following semi-final runs in Toronto. Fritz is aiming to return to Turin, having advanced to the title match last year, while Zverev is a two-time champion.

If Shelton and Fritz both qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, it will mark the first time that multiple Americans compete at the season finale since 2006, when Andy Roddick and James Blake were in action in Shanghai.

Across the next 10 days, attention turns to the Cincinnati Open, where Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Zverev, Shelton, Fritz, Alex de Minaur, Lorenzo Musetti and Casper Ruud are in action.

Eighth-placed De Minaur, ninth-placed Musetti and 10th-placed Ruud will hope for deep runs at the Masters 1000 event in Ohio to climb the Live Race, while 11th-placed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and 12th-placed Karen Khachanov, who reached the Toronto final, remain in the mix. Seventh-placed Jack Draper and fifth-placed Novak Djokovic are not competing in Cincinnati.

The Nitto ATP Finals will be held from the 9-16 November at the Inalpi Arena in Turin. Last month, Alcaraz became the first player to qualify for this year’s event.