Tirante topples Shelton in Houston stunner, Tiafoe saves MP

Thiago Agustin Tirante produced one of the biggest wins of his career in Houston, upsetting top seed Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship.

The ATP said Tirante won 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 to reach the semifinals. Shelton, the 2024 Houston champion, entered the match as the top seed. The result gave Tirante his second top-10 victory and set up an all-Argentine semifinal on one side of the draw.

Frances Tiafoe also advanced after a tight finish. The ATP reported that Tiafoe saved a match point before beating Alexei Popyrin 3-6, 6-5, 7-6(6) to move into the semifinals.

Roman Andres Burruchaga completed the Argentine push into the last four, leaving Houston with a strong South American presence and two high-profile American names still alive in the title race.

The quarterfinals turned into one of the most notable days of the tournament, with Tirante's upset of Shelton and Tiafoe's escape from defeat standing out as the headline results.