Last year in Toronto. This year in Montreal.
The National Bank Open may have changed locations, as it does every season, but it doesn’t seem to matter where it is held for Ben Shelton. Shelton successfully defended his Canada Masters 1000 title with a 6-3, 7-6(4) victory over fellow American Brandon Nakashima on Thursday night. The world No. 10 triumphed after one hour and 27 minutes.
As it did throughout the fortnight, Shelton’s return game thrived. He took control of the match by breaking twice in the opening set before relying on his serve in the second. The left-hander did not face a single break point in the final and eventually improved to 7-1 in tiebreakers against Nakashima by securing mini-breaks at 3-2 and on match point at 6-4.
Shelton did not drop a set all tournament long while defeating Nakashima, Jenson Brooksby, Zizou Bergs, Joao Fonseca, Jakub Mensik, and Learner Tien. He will climbed to No. 6 in the rankings and No. 4 in the race to the Nitto ATP Finals.
Shelton vs. Nakashima marked the first all-American Masters 1000 final since Cincinnati in 2003, when Andy Roddick defeated Mardy Fish 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(4).
“I think for me to play the way that I played this week, to go through this draw without dropping a set, I think it speaks a lot to the work that I’ve been putting in — but (also) to my mental toughness,” Shelton assessed. “It hasn’t been the best or easiest or most straightforward year for me. To put together a performance like this, playing at the top of my game, playing at at my limit [in a lot of aspects] like I am right now, I [have] no words.
“Massive,” he added when asked about the importance of his return game. “I think a lot of what happens out here on the tennis court, it matters how you do it. It matters the way that you break, how convincing you are in your shots, the way that you hold serve, and how you go about your business. For me to put together the return games in the first set against an elite server like Brandon, it gives me a lot of confidence moving forward and it’s obviously what won me this tournament.”
Nakashima was playing in his fifth ATP final and his first above the 250-point level. The world No. 31 is now 1-4 in finals and 0-6 against Shelton. Still, it was the most productive tournament of his career.
“I felt really great the whole week here,” Nakashima said during the trophy ceremony. “It was one of the best weeks of my life. I’m going to be honest — I really, really enjoy it here in Montreal…more than Toronto.”
nice one, Ben
Yes, Shelton is one of the very few to have won Canada BTB in different cities, joining only all time greats such as: Nadal, Djokovic, Murray, and Agassi since it became a Masters 1000 in 90′, so it looks like great more great things are on the horizon for him and I think he’s the only current US player to hold more than 1 Masters title, so he’s the US best bet for a major and and the US Open most likely, congrats.