US Ben Shelton Reaches Munich Semis After Straight-Sets Win Over Darderi

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US Ben Shelton Reaches Munich Semis After Straight-Sets Win Over Darderi/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Ben Shelton advanced to the BMW Open semifinals with a straight-sets win over Luciano Darderi. The American next faces Francisco Cerundolo. Shelton hit 29 winners in the chilly Munich conditions, ending Darderi’s seven-match win streak.

Ben Shelton from the US returns the ball to Italy’s Luciano Darderi during the men’s singles quarterfinal match at the Munich tennis tournament, in Munich, Germany, Friday April 18, 2025. (Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP)

Ben Shelton Reaches BMW Open Semifinals in Munich – Quick Look

Shelton beat Luciano Darderi 6-4, 6-3 to reach the semifinals in Munich.
The American hit 29 winners in cool Bavarian conditions, compared to Darderi’s 12.
This marks Shelton’s ninth ATP semifinal and second on clay.
His next opponent is fifth-seeded Francisco Cerundolo, who beat David Goffin 6-2, 6-4.
Shelton previously won the Houston title on clay in 2024.
Darderi entered the match on a career-best seven-match win streak.
Top seed Alexander Zverev faces Tallon Griekspoor in a later quarterfinal.

Germany’s Alexander Zverev returns a ball to Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor, during the men’s singles quarterfinal match at the Munich tennis tournament, in Munich, Germany, Friday April 18, 2025. (Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP)

Ben Shelton Storms Into BMW Open Semifinals With Win Over Luciano Darderi

Deep Looks

MUNICH (AP) — American tennis rising star Ben Shelton continued his strong clay-court form Friday at the BMW Open, defeating Luciano Darderi 6-4, 6-3 to book a spot in the semifinals.

The 22-year-old Shelton, seeded No. 2 in Munich, dominated with 29 winners to Darderi’s 12, handling the chilly Bavarian temperatures with poise and power.

It’s Shelton’s second career semifinal on clay, having won the Houston title last year. This latest win also marks his ninth tour-level semifinal appearance overall.

Shelton now faces Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina for a place in the final. The fifth seed reached the last four with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Belgium’s David Goffin earlier in the day.

Before the tournament kicked off, Shelton enjoyed a cultural highlight — attending his first professional soccer match, a 2-2 draw between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

Meanwhile, Darderi’s loss ended a notable seven-match winning streak, which included his maiden ATP title in Marrakech. Despite the defeat, the Italian continued to show promising clay-court potential.

Top-seeded Alexander Zverev was set to face Tallon Griekspoor in a highly anticipated quarterfinal later Friday.