Denis Shapovalov continued his impressive run at the ATP Dallas Open, defeating defending champion Tommy Paul 7-5, 6-3 on Saturday to secure a spot in the final against Casper Ruud.
The unseeded Canadian, who earlier took down world No. 4 Taylor Fritz, needed just 90 minutes to overcome ninth-ranked Paul, marking his second top-10 victory of the tournament.
Awaiting him in the final is world No. 5 Ruud, who battled past Spain’s Jaume Munar in a tight 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(4) semifinal.
The Norwegian fought back from the brink, breaking Munar as he served for the match before sealing the win in a tense tiebreaker.
“You see the finish line and sometimes stumble,” Ruud admitted. “I’ve been there before, but today I was fortunate to come through.”
Ruud, aiming for his 13th ATP title, holds a 2-0 head-to-head record against Shapovalov.
Meanwhile, the Canadian is chasing his third career title, having last triumphed in Belgrade in 2023.