Ben Shelton and Flavio Cobolli were involved in a heated exchange after their closely contested fourth-round clash at the 2025 Canadian Open. The American later revealed the real reason behind the unexpected confrontation.Battling it out for a spot in the quarterfinals of the ATP Masters 1000 event, Shelton made a strong start by clinching the opening set 6-4. However, Cobolli leveled the scores by winning the second set and took a 5-3 lead in the decider. Nevertheless, the American held his nerve and fought back to claim a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(1) victory.The match took a dramatic turn with a tense moment in the deciding tiebreak, when Ben Shelton appeared visibly frustrated over a perceived hostile gesture made by Flavio Cobolli.The 22-year-old heatedly confronted Cobolli after sealing his win, demanding an explanation for the contentious gesture. However, the Italian clarified that the move wasn't meant to be directed at Shelton."You went like this (imitating Cobolli's gesture)," Shelton said."It's not with you. You deserve it, this match, but it's not always with you," Cobolli responded."You tell me that. Okay, thank you," Shelton said.The duo continued to exchange words on the court for several moments before Cobolli eventually made his way out of the stadium.When asked about the exchange during his post-match press conference, Ben Shelton disclosed that he had taken Flavio Cobolli at his word that the gesture wasn't directed at him and stated that there was no bad blood between them."Yeah, we talked about it. He said it wasn't towards me. We're good. We talked about it in the locker room, so I'm not going to answer any more questions about that," he said.Ben Shelton to lock horns with Alex de Minaur in Canadian Open QFShelton at the Canadian Open - Source: GettyBen Shelton will take on Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Canadian Open, following the Australian's 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win over Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round. Shelton will be chasing a significant milestone in the blockbuster clash, aiming to reach his maiden ATP Masters 1000 semifinal.If the American triumphs over De Minaur in their first tour-level encounter, he will face Andrey Rublev or the winner of the match between Taylor Fritz and Jiri Lehecka in the final four. Shelton could then meet Alexander Zverev, Alexei Popyrin, Alex Michelsen or Karen Khachanov in the final.Following his campaign in Toronto, Ben Shelton will head to the Cincinnati Open and make his final stop before the US Open. Having reached the semifinals of his home Slam in 2023, the 22-year-old will look to deliver another strong performance at the event.