ATP 500 Washington: Shelton, Fritz, and Tiafoe Hold Their Ground
In the early hours of Thursday to Friday, Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, and Frances Tiafoe played their third-round matches.
On the center court, Shelton faced Gabriel Diallo, a player in good form over the past few months.
But the American didn’t falter, not conceding a single break point and delivering 16 aces, winning 93% of points behind his first serve.
He won 6-3, 6-2 and will face Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals. The latter, meanwhile, defeated Flavio Cobolli in what was expected to be a tight match.
The American delivered a strong performance to eliminate the Italian, who had recently reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. He secured a 6-1, 6-4 victory in just 1 hour and 13 minutes.
Scheduled last on the John Harris court, Fritz took on Matteo Arnaldi. The top seed in Washington won without much trouble, 6-3, 6-4, saving all four break points he faced.
He will meet Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the quarterfinals, marking their fourth encounter of the season already.
