Ben Shelton Advances to National Bank Open Final After Defeating Learner Tien
MONTREAL — Defending champion Ben Shelton triumphed over fellow American Learner Tien with a score of 6-2, 6-3 on Wednesday night, securing his place in the National Bank Open final. The fifth-seeded Shelton will face Brandon Nakashima in an all-American showdown.
Nakashima, seeded 28th, reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final by defeating 19-year-old Rafael Jodar from Spain with a scoreline of 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the first semifinal. Shelton, now with six career victories, previously celebrated wins this year in Dallas, Munich, and Stuttgart.
“Super happy with the performance,” Shelton commented after the match. “Learner is a guy who presents me with a lot of problems in my game. A tough challenge to overcome. To get a win over him in the fashion that I did, I’m super pleased with that.”
Tien, who is 20 years old, was seeded 12th in the tournament. Meanwhile, Nakashima, who secured his only tour title in 2022 in San Diego, expressed confidence heading into the event: “Going into the tournament, I knew I was playing at a really high level, so I knew that I could get a go on a deep run here. Obviously, wasn’t thinking about the final or anything.”
Special Credits: Image Courtesy of Espn
