MONTREAL: Ben Shelton took another step toward defending his ATP Montreal Masters title on Tuesday with a 6-3, 6-1 quarter-finals hammering of Jakub Mensik for his 10th straight victory in Canada.
World number 10 Shelton, the last top-10 player in the field, was never challenged by the Czech in advancing to a semi-final against fellow American Learner Tien, who ousted Spain’s Daniel Merida 6-3, 6-2 in 72 minutes.
“It was a great performance for me, super happy with that and to be in the semis again,” Shelton said.
Spanish teen Rafael Jodar booked a semi-final spot in only his fifth ATP Masters 1000 event by holding off France’s Arthur Fils 7-6 (7/5), 6-3.
The 19-year-old will face the oldest remaining player when he plays 25-year-old American Brandon Nakashima in the semi-final.
Nakashima reached his breakthrough Masters semi in 77 minutes as he imposed his game on Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-3, setting up three match points with his 11th ace as winning as the Italian missed on a drop shot.
It’s the first time since 1992 that three American men have reached the semis in Canada. Shelton was on fire in his 72-minute thrashing of Mensik, the American producing 18 winners and only three unforced errors. Shelton has yet to lose a set at this event.
“I felt great, I played well form the ground from point one,” Shelton said. “I’m right where I want to be. I maintained a high level throughout the match.
“I hope to continue to build on this in the semis.”
Jodar shrugged off a slight tweak of his ankle in the second set against Fils and remained calm throughout as his French opponent smashed a racquet after being broken early in the second set.
Jodar, who does not turn 20 until after the US Open, has won 34 matches this season and risen to 15th in world rankings, but sees improving his game as more important than his ranking.
“That shouldn’t be your primary thing and your goal,” he said. “My goal is to have fun on court and to enjoy all the tournaments that are new for me.”
Fils, back after injury, saved three match points in the final game before Jodar lanced a winner to the empty court after an hour and three-quarters.
Also on Tuesday, world number two Elena Rybakina came from a set down to defeat four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka and reach the WTA Toronto Masters semi-finals, where she will face fourth-ranked Coco Gauff.
Rybakina, the reigning Australian Open champion from Kazakhstan, fired 13 aces in a 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 victory.
“Super happy. It was a very difficult match,” Rybakina said after a tight battle lasting 2hr 33min. “In the first set [I made] a few mistakes, a poor start.
“It was a really tough one but I’m glad I could turn it around, I don’t yet know how, but I think my serve helped me a little bit.”
Gauff, a 22-year-old American, had a walkover into her first Canada semi-final when Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic withdrew with a hip injury.
Gauff, the 2023 US Open and 2025 French Open champion, defeated Rybakina in their only previous meeting, which came at Toronto in a 2022 third-round match.
Osaka and Rybakina staged a dramatic duel in their first ever meeting on tour.
Rybakina double-faulted to hand Osaka a break in the opening game and the Asian star held serve from there to claim the first set in 42 minutes.
The pair exchanged breaks of service twice in a drama-filled second set but in the tiebreak Rybakina never trailed and smashed a forehand winner to force a third set.
Osaka was denied on four break points in the sixth game as Rybakina held. The Kazakh broke for a 4-3 lead as Osaka missed a forehand smash wide on game point, then sent forehands long and wide.
Rybakina sealed the match with a second-serve ace, winning all 18 of her first-serve points in the final set.
Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2026