Montreal, August 10: Ben Shelton triumphed over Brazilian player João Fonseca in a challenging fourth-round match at the National Bank Open, winning 6-3, 7-6(3). With this victory, the reigning champion secured his spot in the quarterfinals.
Ranked fifth in the ATP standings, Shelton faced tough conditions with strong winds, initially falling behind in both sets. However, he made impressive comebacks, maintaining his unbeaten streak in Montreal and achieving his 30th win of the season.
In the first set, both players broke each other’s serves. Shelton took a decisive lead at 4-3, aided by a stunning forehand winner, and secured another break before winning the set on his serve.
Fonseca, who had previously defeated former world number 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas and ninth-seeded Casper Ruud in Montreal, started the second set strong, taking a 3-0 lead. However, he injured his right ankle while chasing an overhead shot during a break-point opportunity, disrupting his momentum.
Shelton capitalized on this, leveling the score at 3-3. Fonseca continued to fight, saving a break point at 5-5, but Shelton showcased his best tennis during crucial moments, dominating the tiebreak and sealing the match in one hour and 48 minutes.
Shelton’s aggressive style has been key to his success. He won 78% of his first-serve points and claimed 14 out of 18 points at the net, demonstrating his desire to take the initiative and limit his opponent’s time to think.
With this result, Shelton now leads the head-to-head series against Fonseca 2-0, having previously defeated him in Munich earlier this season. Fonseca was aiming to reach the quarterfinals of a Canadian Masters 1000 event for the first time.
This season, Shelton has already claimed titles in Dallas, Munich, and Stuttgart. He is now the only top-10 player remaining in the Montreal draw and will face Czech Republic’s Jakub Mensik for a spot in the semifinals.
Thirteenth-seeded Mensik advanced by defeating Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 7-5, making a comeback in a challenging second set. At one point, he was just three points away from losing the set at 4-5 but rallied to win three consecutive games in one hour and 29 minutes.
In the quarterfinals, two former Masters 1000 champions will face off; Shelton and Mensik are the only players left in the Montreal draw who have previously won at this level.
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