Felix Auger-Aliassime comeback victory
Felix Auger-Aliassime came in needing a spark — and he delivered one under the lights in Turin. Down a set to Ben Shelton in the round-robin of the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals, the Canadian reversed course to win 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-5, keeping his hopes of a semi-final berth alive. Shelton, making his debut, looked composed early, breaking Felix twice in the first set and carrying momentum into set two. But the turning point arrived in the tiebreak: at 4-4, Auger-Aliassime hit timeout, took a breath, and reeled off five straight points to snatch the set. “He was playing much better than me at the start,” Felix admitted. ATP Tour+1
From there, the Canadian’s indoor-hardcourt instincts took over. Best known for his keen sense in tight matches, he started landing returns deeper, moved Shelton off the net, and waited for his moment. The final set featured just one break — and it came at the climax. Shelton’s serve faltered at 5-5, the Canadian pounced, sealed the deal on his third match point, and exhaled a line-call sigh that said “I’m back.”
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Shelton’s debut stumble and what it means
Shelton’s serve-and-volley game flashed brilliance early — though that knee bend during the second-set tiebreak told the deeper story. He slipped, grimaced, but kept serving. He even held set point at 6-5 in the breaker before double-faulting. In his post-match remarks he was candid: “It hurt really bad… I didn’t feel it at all through the whole third set.” ATP Tour+1
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For Auger-Aliassime, this is more than one win: it’s his 20th deciding-set victory of the season, an edge few can claim. And for Shelton, while the loss ends his semi shot, the experience is pure gold: a first Finals appearance, two monster matches, and a lesson in what it takes to close.
First Ball Forehand Match Point: Auger-Aliassime showed that come-back DNA still lives strong — in the tightest moments, he found the deepest returns and calmest mindset. If Shelton learns from this now, the scoreboard will look different next year.
Sources: ATP Tour match report; Reuters recap