MONTREAL: Defending champion Ben Shelton kept a clean slate at the ATP Montreal Masters on Sunday, holding off a challenge from Joao Fonseca to power 6-3, 7-6(7/3) into the quarter-finals.

World number 10 Shelton has not dropped a set in reaching the last eight.

The 23-year-old American left-hander will play for a semi-final berth against 13th-seeded Czech Jakub Mensik, who beat Botic Van De Zandschulp 6-4, 7-5, claiming victory on a winning lob.

Brazilian teenager Fonseca, billed as one of the faces for the future of the sport, might have compromised his own chances when he landed badly on his ankle after missing a smash while leading 3-1, 40-30 in the second set.

The youngster was plagued by 32 unforced errors as his opponent mastered an annoying evening wind to earn the victory.

“It was tough today, not easy conditions,” Shelton said. “With the wind I struggled to find footing on a lot of balls. It all came down to grit. The tennis was not clean. Beating a high-quality player like that is huge for me.”

Shelton secured his ninth straight victory in Canada on the second of four match points as Fonseca hit the net with a return after leading in both sets.

Daniel Merida smothered Tallon Griekspoor 6-3, 6-1 as the Spaniard continued his rapid adjustment to hardcourt tennis.

The world number 63 joins compatriot Rafael Jodar in the Canada quarter-finals and will break through to a career-best spot inside the top 50 as a result of his fourth-round victory.

Prior to making his Montreal debut, clay-courter Merida had never won a tour-level match on hardcourt. He will try to extend his streak of cement success to five in a row when he plays a first Masters quarter-final against US 12th seed Learner Tien, who wore down Argentine Thiago Tirante 6-4, 6-4.

Tien saved the first eight break points he faced in the second set in a battle of big hitters and secured victory in his fifth match point, with his opponent handing over the final game with four unforced errors.

Against Griekspoor, Merida was deadly with his backhand, leaving the Dutchman flat-footed in the 69-minute triumph.

Spain’s title-winner last month on clay in Umag has now claimed 16 victories this breakthrough season.

“This is a dream come true. I’m feeling really great,” Merida said. “I’m happy with the level during all the week.

“I was playing great for the last year and the beginning of this year so I just started to believe more in myself.”

RYBAKINA SURVIVES SCARE

In the WTA Toronto Masters on Sunday, world number two Elena Rybakina survived a huge scare to battle into the quarter-finals while fourth-ranked Coco Gauff cruised through.

Kazakhstan’s Rybakina recovered from 0-3 and two breaks down in the final set to beat Liudmila Samsonova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 before American Gauff swept aside Russian teenage qualifier Alina Korneeva, 6-3, 6-1.

Rybakina will face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who eliminated home hero Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-4.

Gauff reached the last eight in Canada for the first time since 2023 and next meets 14th-ranked Swiss Belinda Bencic, who won 6-4, 6-0 in 73 minutes over 20th-ranked Alexandra Eala, a Filipina who won her first WTA title last Monday in Washington.

“My main focus today was let me try and close it out,” said Gauff, who has not dropped a set in Canada.

“Probably not the way I should be thinking but it worked today.

“I’m proud of how the last three matches have gone and just knowing if I have to go the distance I’m ready, but obviously would prefer to cut it short if I can.”

Osaka broke in the seventh game of each set to advance in 82 minutes.

“It was all pretty good for me,” the 13th-ranked Osaka said. “She has a great attitude. She’s consistent and she will fight. She’s kind of like a bulldog.”

The Japanese star, who has never faced Rybakina, said sound groundstrokes were key.

“When I feel comfortable or at least confident in myself knowing I can run things down, I loo­sen up a lot,” Osaka said. “I was catching my service toss a couple times. Hopefully in the next match I don’t do that as often. I need to be confident in myself, execute what I can and at the end of the day just try my best and whatever happens happens.”

Bencic connected on 64.4% of her first serves and won 72.4% of those points in a 73-minute victory, her 10th win in a row over left-handed opponents.

“I hate to play against lefties so I’m surprised by this statistic,” Bencic said. “Very tricky. Maybe what helped me was I played a lefty the round before against Taylor Townsend. I got used to the serve a little bit. I wish I was a lefty too.”

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2026