Ben Shelton’s hopes of reaching the semifinal stage of the 2025 ATP Finals are now hanging by a thread after he couldn’t close out Wednesday’s match against Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Jannik Sinner, meanwhile, brushed aside Alexander Zverev in straight sets on home soil in Turin, Italy. That guaranteed him a spot in the semifinals.

One round of matches remains before the semis, which will unfold on Saturday. Here’s where things stand:

Felix Auger-Aliassime def. Ben Shelton 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-5

Jannik Sinner def. Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-3

Shelton and Auger-Aliassime basically faced a must-win situation Wednesday after coming up short in their opening matches. It’s almost impossible to dig out of an 0-2 hole in a three-match group stage.

Shelton gained the upper hand by securing the first service break of the first set and eventually building a 5-2 lead. Auger-Aliassime broke back in the ninth game, only for the American southpaw to immediately respond in kind and claim the set.

Neither player blinked in the second set. They each held serve six times, and Shelton had the only break-point opportunity.

Auger-Aliassime managed to create some distance in the tiebreaker, winning five of the first seven points. Shelton fought back but was unable to totally turn the tables. On his fourth set-point chance, Auger-Aliassime converted to draw level in the match.

The decisive set played out in similar fashion until Shelton was serving at 5-6. He was unable to send the match to another tiebreaker, sailing a backhand slice long after an extended rally on Auger-Aliassime’s third match point.

“He was playing much better than me at the start,” the Canadian said, per Jerome Coombe of the ATP Tour’s official site. “It’s not often that I get broken twice in the first set indoors… It was a weird start, but as the match went on I was finding ways to put returns in the court. Once we engaged in the rallies, I felt like I could win more. You just have to fight, believe, and play the next point the right way.”

Sinner and Zverev’s matchup was a much more straightforward affair.

The four-time Grand Slam champion prevailed in their last four head-to-head meetings, including a 3-0 mark in 2025. That dominance continued as Zverev didn’t have an answer for the Italian’s massive serve.

Sinner collected 12 aces and won 83 percent of his first-serve points. On the instances he misfired with his first serve, he had other tools in his arsenal to hold Zverev at bay.

The beginning of the end came in the second set with Zverev serving at 2-3 and staring at a possible break. Sinner kept the rally alive before effortlessly landing a forehand drop shot.

The outcome was academic from there.

With Carlos Alcaraz sitting atop the Jimmy Connors Group, the ATP Finals is poised to set up the climactic battle fans want to see.

The Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry is fast approaching an era-defining level considering how much they’re crossing paths at big events. It looks like Turin will be the staging ground for the next encounter.