Montreal: Shelton, Fonseca, Tien complete National Bank Open round of 16 lineup
The fourth round matchups for the National Bank Open in Montreal are now confirmed following a day of tennis at IGA Stadium. Defending champion Ben Shelton, along with Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien, have secured their spots in the round of 16.
Joao Fonseca of Brazil advanced by defeating Casper Ruud with a score of 7-6(6), 6-3. This victory marks Fonseca’s third time reaching the last 16 at an ATP Masters 1000 event. He will now face Ben Shelton, the fifth seed and defending champion, in a rematch of their earlier quarterfinal in Munich, which Shelton won. Fonseca’s win over Ruud improved his record to 2-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, with his first victory occurring at Roland Garros two months prior, leading to his first Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Fonseca, a 19-year-old, joined fellow teenager Rafael Jodar in the fourth round. This is the first instance since Denis Shapovalov and Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2018 that two teenagers have reached the last 16 at this event. During his match against Ruud, Fonseca initially faced challenges, surrendering a break to trail 2-4 on centre court after allowing seven break points in his first three service games. However, he managed to break back immediately and established his baseline game. Fonseca expressed pride in solving the problems presented by a tough opponent during the match.
Shelton secured his spot in the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-2 win against Zizou Bergs of Belgium. Another American, Learner Tien, defeated his compatriot Tommy Paul and is set to play against Thiago Tirante in the fourth round. Tirante, from Argentina, had previously eliminated Alexei Popyrin. Other players advancing to the fourth round include Jakub Mensik of Czechia, who prevailed over Terence Atmane of the Netherlands with a score of 7-5, 6-4.
In the women’s section of the Canadian Open, Leylah Fernandez, the 2021 US Open finalist, ended a streak of seven defeats against Top 10 opponents. She defeated Roland Garros champion Mirra Andreeva in the third round with a score of 6-1, 6-4 in 1 hour and 21 minutes. This victory matched her best-ever result at her country’s signature event and marked her first Top 10 win in over a year. Fernandez’s last win against a player ranked as highly as Andreeva was against then-World No. 4 Jessica Pegula on her way to winning the Mubadala DC Open last year.
Fernandez maintained a positive and patient approach during her match against Andreeva. She noted that Andreeva would not give away easy balls, and the key was to stick with long rallies and trust her abilities. Andreeva made 19 unforced errors in the first set and a total of 34 for the match, which was double her 17 winners. In contrast, Fernandez had eight winners and seven unforced errors.
Fernandez is now set to face Naomi Osaka, the 11th seed and 2025 National Bank Open finalist, in the round of 16. Osaka defeated Elise Mertens with a score of 6-1, 6-2. Osaka and Fernandez have split their two previous meetings on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, with Osaka winning their most recent encounter in 2025. Osaka highlighted Fernandez’s left-handed serve as a particular challenge, comparing it to that of former World No. 1 Petra Kvitova, and praised Fernandez’s level-headed mindset during their match.
Upcoming Matches and Event Highlights
The first four quarter-finalists at the National Bank Open will be decided on Saturday. The event also features ‘OBN à Table’ with Chef John Mike, a gastronomic experience running until Sunday during TennisFest Weekend. The evening sessions on both Centre Court and Rogers Court were sold out. Attendees on Saturday night are encouraged to wear 90s attire for Retro Night, presented by Iris, celebrating iconic sports eras.
The round of 16 matches will see Jakub Mensik take on Botic van de Zandschulp, and Tallon Griekspoor go up against Daniel Merida.
The tournament continues to draw attention with its star-studded matchups and various fan engagement activities. The focus now shifts to the upcoming matches that will determine who advances further in the competition.
Source: theshillongtimes.com
