How Did Fritz and Shelton Advance to the Fourth Round of the Canadian Open?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Taylor Fritz advances by defeating Gabriel Diallo.
- Ben Shelton wins a hard-fought match against Brandon Nakashima.
- Both players are performing well in the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
- Fritz faces Jiri Lehecka next, while Shelton meets Flavio Cobolli.
- Shelton is on track to achieve his 100th tour-level win.
Toronto, Aug 2 (NationPress) Second seed Taylor Fritz eliminated the last Canadian player, Gabriel Diallo, with a score of 6-4, 6-2, advancing to the fourth round of the Canadian Open.
With his sights set on a second ATP Masters 1000 title, and his first since the remarkable Indian Wells journey in 2022, Fritz is set to face 19th seed Jiri Lehecka, who triumphed over 15th seed Arthur Fils with scores of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Fritz made an early break in the match and consistently kept Diallo at bay. The American maintained a flawless game, managing to seize every crucial point. After breaking to take a 3-1 lead, the outcome felt inevitable, and he secured another break late in the match before serving it out.
Meanwhile, fourth seed Ben Shelton achieved a 6-7(8), 6-2, 7-6(5) victory, enhancing his record to 5-0 against Brandon Nakashima.
For the second time this season (following his quarterfinal at Indian Wells), Shelton has reached the fourth round of an ATP Masters 1000 event, and he is just one win away from his 100th tour-level victory. He will aim for this milestone against 13th seed Flavio Cobolli, who defeated Fabian Marozsan 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Shelton is currently competing at a career-best No. 7 in the ATP Rankings.
Shelton showcased incredible resilience against Nakashima, staging several comebacks. The first set saw minimal break points, with Nakashima securing the second minibreak in the tiebreak's final point. Shelton quickly rebounded in the second set, jumping to a 3-0 lead before breaking again to seal it.
Nakashima gained momentum with an early break in the third, but Shelton quickly leveled it at 2-2. At 4-5 on Nakashima's serve, Shelton had two match points but committed two errors that allowed Nakashima to hold. The fourth seed surged ahead in the tiebreak, earning three more match points at 6-3.
Nakashima saved the first two, but on the third attempt, Shelton unleashed his 19th ace to clinch the victory.