"We're going to face each other many more times," Shelton says after his win against Tiafoe

Ben Shelton won the all-American showdown in the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 tournament in Washington. Overnight from Friday to Saturday, the higher-ranked of the two players prevailed over his friend Frances Tiafoe (7-6, 6-4) and will now face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the semifinals. After his victory, the world No. 8 reflected on his performance.

"We know tennis is a long journey. We're going to face each other many more times. It's hard not to root for a player like him. He's one of the best players in the world when he's focused, because he can attack second serves while making you feel like you're on the defensive, and he can come to the net.

My percentage of points won behind my second serve was probably the highest I've ever had against him. My aggressive serving style, combined with my willingness to take risks on returns, worked really well.

So I think that combination was pretty tough for the opponent to handle under these conditions," explained the 22-year-old Shelton to Tennis Channel shortly after his win.