ASB Classic Round-Up: Ben Shelton stunned by Baez as Mensik marches into semifinals

Action continues at the ATP 250 ASB Classic after a day that had to be suspended due to heavy rain in Auckland, leaving the quarter-finals only partially completed — with only Marcos Giron already through to the semifinals after eliminating Italian-Argentine Luciano Darderi.

As a result, this Friday features a double schedule, with the remaining quarter-final matches completed earlier today — during the New Zealand morning session — and tennis set to resume later in the afternoon with the semifinal clashes, which will determine the two finalists who will compete for the title this Saturday.

The big surprise of the day came with the defeat of top seed Ben Shelton, who is now out of the tournament and will have to regroup quickly before travelling to Melbourne to prepare for his Australian Open debut — scheduled in just two days against the dangerous Frenchman Ugo Humbert.

On the other hand, a high-quality showdown took place between Jakub Mensik and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, where the Czech youngster managed to find solutions against the Frenchman’s imposing serve and secured a victory that sends him into the semifinals — his first ATP-level semifinal appearance since his unforgettable title run at the Miami Open Masters 1000 a year ago.

The 20-year-old Jakub Mensik (No. 18) produced a simply outstanding performance to defeat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (No. 63). The Czech got off to a shaky start — conceding an early break and losing the first eight points of the match in a row. However, he gradually raised his level in the following games, recovered the break a couple of games later, and managed to keep pace with Mpetshi Perricard, who looked vulnerable on his second serve, winning just 36% of those points throughout the set.

With the score tied at 4–4 and Mpetshi Perricard struggling more on serve, Mensik stepped on the accelerator and took control of the match in the closing stages of the set. A second break for the Czech sealed the opener 6–4.

There were few extended rallies, as most points were decided within just a couple of shots from each player. The second set quickly tilted in Mensik’s favour: he secured an early break and raced to a 3–0 lead. Holding his service games flawlessly, he gave his opponent no chance to re-enter the match, and the Frenchman — affected by the pressure of the moment — ended up conceding his serve for the fourth time in the match.

Mensik closed out a 6–4, 6–2 victory in just 1 hour and 8 minutes, booking his place in his first ATP semifinal since lifting the Miami Open title in March 2025.

With the win, Mensik advances to the semifinals, where he will face Hungarian Fabian Marozsan, who also had to take the court earlier this Friday morning. They will meet in just a few hours, with Marozsan arriving in excellent form after eliminating Gaël Monfils, Casper Ruud and Eliot Spizzirri on his way through the draw.

The clash between Ben Shelton and Sebastián Baez had begun the previous day, with the Argentine putting on a strong performance in the opening set. A week earlier, Báez had been one of the standout players at the United Cup, earning victories over Taylor Fritz, Jaume Munar and Stan Wawrinka. It wasn’t just the inspiration of playing for his country — this week in Auckland, the 5’7” (1.70 m) South American is putting together an impressive campaign, recording his sixth consecutive win, having already beaten Emilio Nava, Jenson Brooksby, and now Shelton.

The opening set turned into a break-filled battle from both players. Báez jumped out to a 2–0 lead, but Shelton responded by winning three games in a row. Both players traded another pair of breaks until 5–5, when Shelton showed signs of hesitation and Báez seized his opportunity to take control. In a rollercoaster finish to the set, the Argentine claimed it 7–5. Shelton held serve to start the second set, but play was then interrupted by rain.

Action resumed this Friday with Báez holding a one-set advantage and set to serve when play had been stopped. Upon resumption, the South American capitalised on the momentum — holding his opening service game and quickly securing a break in the next one. Shelton suddenly found himself trailing 1–3 in the second set, and although he improved his serving consistency in the following games, he never truly threatened a comeback.

The American ended up conceding his serve again late in the match, and Báez sealed a 7–5, 6–3 victory, recording his second top-10 win of the season. He now advances to the semifinals, where he will face another American: world No. 60 Marcos Giron.