Ben Shelton Defends Canadian Open Title in Montreal
Summary
Ben Shelton defended his Canadian Open title with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over fellow American Brandon Nakashima in Montreal, adding a second Masters 1000 crown to the one he won in Toronto a year ago. The victory gave Shelton his fourth title of the season and kept a rare back-to-back run alive in the Canadian men’s event.
Performance
Shelton’s edge came from cleaner tennis under pressure. He hit 22 winners to Nakashima’s 19 and made fewer unforced errors, then held firm in a second set with no break points and a tiebreak that stayed largely on serve until he edged ahead.
Key Uncertainty
Nakashima again failed to solve Shelton, falling to 0-6 in their meetings, and was still chasing his first Masters 1000 title.
The same update also showed how thin the margins can be on hard courts: Shelton did not face a break point after the opening stretch, and the match was decided by a single tiebreak.
Next Trigger
Shelton now takes his title form into the Cincinnati Open, where the larger field offers a sharper test before the US Open buildup.