STUTTGART, June 11, 2025
US-Americans Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton both made winning starts at the BOSS Open on Wednesday, each advancing to the quarterfinals of the ATP Tour 250 grass-court event with straight-sets victories over French opponents.
BOSS brand ambassador Fritz defeated Quentin Halys 6-3, 7-6(6), while Shelton earned his maiden win at the Weissenhof Club with a 7-6(4), 7-5 victory over qualifier Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
Tough battle @Taylor_Fritz97 reaches the Stuttgart last eight after a 6-3 7-6 win over Halys #BOSSOPEN pic.twitter.com/cujx1WvVhf
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) June 11, 2025
World No. 7 Fritz was satisfied with his performance against Halys, especially after securing an early break in the opening set. “I came out and played a solid match right from the start,” said the US-American No. 1. “The early break definitely helped. The dynamics didn’t change much throughout – he served well, I served well. The key was saving those two break points in the second set.”
Fritz now faces a familiar foe in the quarterfinals: Marton Fucsovics. The Hungarian defeated Fritz in the same round in Stuttgart back in 2023, also in straight sets. The two will meet again on Friday in what promises to be a high-stakes rematch.
Reflecting on his Stuttgart debut nearly a decade ago, Fritz said: “That was in 2016, when I played Federer in the round of 16 and just barely lost in three sets. That makes me feel kind of old,” he joked. “I’ve improved a lot since then. It’s great to be back here.”
Fucsovics, 33, earned his spot in the last eight with a 7-6(4), 6-3 win over France’s Arthur Rinderknech. It marks his fourth career quarterfinal appearance on grass – all of them at Stuttgart (2019, 2022, 2023, 2025).
Shelton Breaks New Ground on Grass
World No. 12 Shelton, seed third at the Tennis Club Weissenhof, battled past Herbert in a contest dominated by big serving. The American clinched the first set in a tiebreak and sealed the win with a crucial break at 6-5 in the second.
“I’m happy to be back playing on grass. It’s a completely different game on this surface,” Shelton said. “I’m really happy to get my first win here in Stuttgart.”
Shelton will next face Jiri Lehecka, who ended Jan-Lennard Struff’s run with a composed 6-4, 7-5 victory. The Czech capitalized on his chances and will look to continue his strong form against the explosive US-American.
