Defending champion Ben Shelton continued his impressive run at the National Bank Open, overcoming a strong challenge from 19-year-old Joao Fonseca to reach the quarter-finals in Montreal.
The fifth-seeded American had to fight back from early setbacks in both sets, with Fonseca breaking first on each occasion. Shelton remained composed under pressure, however, recovering each time to secure a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory in one hour and 48 minutes.
The win means Shelton has yet to drop a set at this year’s tournament, continuing his strong form on Canadian hard courts.
“It was tough out there today and I competed well,” Shelton said. “It wasn’t easy conditions to play in. A lot of it just comes down to grit in a match like this. So to come through with a win against a really high-quality player like Joao is huge for me.”
Shelton’s victory also extended his winning streak at the ATP Masters 1000 event to nine matches. His run began with his title-winning campaign last year when the tournament was held in Toronto.
The American has now beaten Fonseca twice in their two meetings, adding another promising young player to his list of victories during his strong Canadian run.
Shelton is also enjoying an impressive season, having already claimed three titles in Dallas, Munich and Stuttgart. With his title defence still alive in Montreal, he will now turn his attention to the quarter-finals and another opportunity to move closer to a fourth trophy of the year.
The defending champion will face the winner of the match between Jakub Mensik and Botic van de Zandschulp for a place in the semi-finals.
