PARIS: World number four Ben Shelton shook off a first-set stumble to beat local favourite Luca Van Assche 5-7 6-3 6-4 and go into the Paris Masters final on Saturday, reaching the third ATP 1000 final of his career.
US Open finalist Shelton netted twice from the baseline and hit a forehand wide as Van Assche, ranked 47th in the world, took the only break in the first set to go 6-5 up amid roaring support from his hometown crowd, backed by drum beats and chants.
But the third seed, who was undone by his 17 unforced errors in the first set, found his rhythm in the second. He dragged the 22-year-old Frenchman into long rallies to force mistakes and broke to go 4-2 up, a lead that secured the set.
