Montreal, August 13, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Defending champion Ben Shelton stormed into his second consecutive Canadian Open final with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 victory over fellow American Learner Tien in Montreal.
Unlike his title-winning run last year, which featured several comebacks and three-set battles, Shelton’s 2026 title defence has been remarkably dominant. The World No. 10 entered the semi-final as the only player in the draw yet to drop a set and maintained that record against Tien.
Shelton will face World No. 31 Brandon Nakashima in Thursday night’s final at IGA Stadium, setting up the first all-American final at a Masters 1000 event since 2003, when Andy Roddick defeated Mardy Fish in Cincinnati.
The result also marked the first all-American Canadian Open final since 1995, when Andre Agassi defeated Pete Sampras to win the title at the tournament’s former venue, Jarry Park.
The opening five games against Tien were closely contested, with Shelton saving an early break point before taking control. He secured the first break in the sixth game to move 4-2 ahead and went on to claim the opening set.
Shelton carried the momentum into the second set, breaking serve early to establish a commanding advantage.
The only setback came when he collided with the back wall while chasing down a Tien lob at 4-1. The incident left him with a cut on his elbow and required a medical timeout, but it did not prevent him from closing out the match.
Shelton will now bid to successfully defend his Canadian Open crown against Nakashima. The match also gives him an opportunity to claim his fourth title of the season and his second Masters 1000 trophy.
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