Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton will meet for the Paris Masters title after contrasting semifinal wins on Saturday. Alcaraz dispatched Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 to reach his first final at the event, while Shelton dug out of a break deficit in the deciding set to beat Luca Van Assche 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.

The matchup carries history: Shelton beat Alcaraz in a five-set thriller in the US Open quarterfinals, and the Spaniard isn't taking the rematch lightly. Facing the world No. 4 is "one of the best challenges" in tennis, Alcaraz said, per Yahoo Sports, while BBC Sport reported him calling it "one of most difficult challenges in tennis."

Alcaraz has battled through an injury-hit season that still included a title run in Melbourne, making a maiden Paris crown a fitting late-season statement. Shelton, meanwhile, has a chance to prove his US Open win was no one-off — and to claim one of the biggest titles of his career.