Fans were left shocked and disappointed after Ben Shelton lost to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the semifinal of the Citi Open. The Spaniard defeated both American No. 1, Taylor Fritz, and No. 2, Shelton, to advance to the final.Shelton was in good form going into the semifinal of the ATP 500 event in Washington. He got the better of Mackenzie McDonald, 15th seed Gabriel Diallo, and sixth seed Frances Tiafoe in straight sets to set up a clash against Fokina in the final four.Meanwhile, 12th seed Fokina had defeated compatriot Jaume Munar before completing a hat-trick of victories over Americans, including Learner Tien, Fritz, and Shelton, to advance to the final. He defeated World No. 8 Shelton, rather comfortably, 6-2, 7-5.Fans on X were displeased with the two-time Grand Slam semifinalist's performance."Ben is so hit or miss. It’s frustrating," one fan wrote."Jesus what the hell was that performance from Ben," another fan wrote."Embarrassing for Shelton. He can’t even beat Fokina on hard court," a third fan wrote.Here are some more fan reactions to Ben Shelton's loss in the Citi Open semifinal."Poor from Ben today," one fan wrote."Shelton is a disgrace of a top 10," another fan wrote."Americans tennis players post 2020 just don’t learn how to win semi’s or any major tournaments for that matter," yet another fan wrote."It's always special to win against a Top-10 player" - Alejandro Davidovich Fokina after beating Ben Shelton in the Citi Open SFBen Shelton at the Mubadala Citi DC Open 2025 - Source: GettyAlejandro Davidovich Fokina has racked up multiple Top 10 wins at the Citi Open this year. In a hard-fought battle, he defeated Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinal 7-6(3), 6-3, 7-5, after winning the last five games of the match. A night later, against Shelton, the 26-year-old Spaniard was more comfortable, winning in straight sets."I knew that I wouldn't be fresh after such a late finish, but I knew with Ben Shelton that there wouldn't be a lot of long rallies and it would be a quick match. I knew I had to be there for every point," Davidovich Fokina said after the match (via ATPTour.com)."It's always special to win against a Top 10 player. To beat one of the best guys in the world is always special. Coming back from 2-5 against Taylor last night was a huge achievement," he added.The Spaniard is yet to win a tour-level title in his career. He has reached three finals, including two in 2025, but is yet to triumph in a championship match.At the Citi Open, Fokina will take on Alex de Minaur in the final. It will be their fifth encounter on the tour. They are tied 2-2 in their head-to-head encounters, with the Aussie winning their last match in Canada in 2023.