Daniel triumphs over Shelton at ASB Classic

Taro Daniel is through to the ASB Classic final, after a 7-5 7-6(9) upset victory over Ben Shelton at Stanley Street this afternoon.

Shelton knew this was not going to be a walk in the park against the unseeded Daniel at 4-3 in the first set, with the Japanese world number 75 battled back from 0-40 down to force a mammoth deuce battle. Daniel eventually won to hold serve, breaking Shelton at 5-5 and taking the set after over an hour.

The American top seed showed the first wobbles in the tournament on his usually reliable service game, although he was still good for consistent aces, Daniel was time and again allowed back in after being 0-40 or 15-40 down.

The second set saw Shelton tighten up a bit, but Daniel’s adjustments frustrated the American, who was unable to break serve throughout the entire two sets.

There was a huge moment with the second set at 4-4. Daniel had battled to deuce but Shelton first sent down an ace that Hawkeye showed to be in by a millimetre, which he then followed up with a 226 km/h ace to save serve.

The set went to a thrilling tiebreaker, with both players matching each other point for point, till Daniel finally forced an error from Shelton, sparking a jubilant celebration.

Daniel rated it as one of the bigger results of his career, after getting through his second match-defining tiebreak in as many days.

“You know, there is a tendency to get really excited in those moments and really anxious as well,” Daniel said.

But (the key is) to not change the way I play really. I keep doing what I’ve been doing, what he doesn’t like. There’s a lot of energy from the crowd so there’s a tendency to want to use that.”

Daniel will play the winner of Arthur Fils and Alejandro Tabilo, who continue the afternoon session at Stanley Street.