Ben Shelton and Arthur Fils are having memorable weeks. Both young guns have received large paychecks that they probably didn’t envision at the start of the 2024 season. As they are set to face off in the semifinal of the Swiss Indoors, enthusiasts can expect these two to form tennis’ next big rivalry.
Shelton and Fils recently made it to the headlines for winning cash prizes in rather unconventional ways. The American youngster was victorious in Ultimate Tennis Showdown’s recent tournament in Frankfurt. He was rewarded with $377,400 for clinching his maiden UTS title.
Merely a few days later, Fils became the talk of town after receiving a massive $615,000 bonus from the ATP for having the most points at the 500-level.
I found out about the rule today, but Arthur Fils didn’t:
Officially the player with the most points at ATP 500 level in 2024, Arthur Fils just won a $615,000 bonus!
(That’s why he says ‘money’ after match point) pic.twitter.com/C6XkjEuVnC
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) October 25, 2024
Both players would like to cap off this amazing week with a title. However, only one of them will be advancing to the final to either face Holger Rune or Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Your semi-finalists in Basel are locked in #SwissIndoorsBasel pic.twitter.com/IF29cUDZ5h
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 25, 2024
The players have only met each other twice at the ATP level. A combination of their young age and competitive clashes suggests this matchup has all the makings of tennis’s next big rivalry. The previous meeting, in particular, left enthusiasts entertained.
The duo spent nearly three hours on the court during the quarterfinal of the Tokyo Open 2024. Both players put on a serving clinic and barely committed unforced errors. After indulging in two tedious tiebreaks, the Frenchman emerged victorious.
Given his impressive form, Fils will have the upper hand entering the Basel Open 2024 semi-final.
Fils is yet to drop a set in Basel
Arthur Fils has been in fine form since the tournament began. He’s barely made any wrong decisions and appears to be collected when on the court. He also defeated Daniel Altmaier, Pedro Martinez, and Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets – the only semi-finalist to not drop a set yet.
On the other hand, Shelton will have gained a huge boost in his morale after clinching another top-10 win over #1 Andrey Rublev. This 7-5, 6-7, 6-4 win has Shelton motivated to take a 2-1 head-to-head lead against his doubles partner.
“He [Fils] is one of my best friends on the Tour, and I see him as one of my main rivals out of the young guys. He’s playing incredible tennis at the moment, and there is no one I would rather match up against on a Saturday here in Basel. I’m looking for some revenge,” Shelton said, per ATP.
Although both players will back themselves to win this match, it remains to be seen who will come out on top. Interested fans can tune in at 9 AM ET to catch this action-packed bout on Tennis Channel.
