Big-serving American Ben Shelton created a neat bit of history in his round of 16 win over Flavio Cobolli, becoming just the 8th man born in the 21st century to win 100 ATP Tour matches. He was made to work hard for that 100th win, trailing 5-3 in the decisive set.
2025 ATP Tour
Masters 1000
National Bank Open (Canadian Open)
Sobeys Stadium, Toronto, Canada (Outdoor Hardcourt)
Selected Quarterfinals- 5th August
Ben Shelton (4) 1.34 vs Alex de Minaur (9) 0.58
Cobolli managed to neutralize Shelton’s power for much the match, goading him into plenty of extended rallies. But Shelton found his range down the closing stretch, finding some big first-serves and forehands. It was a scrappy performance that underlined Shelton’s more pugnacious qualities. He has reached his 3rd consecutive quarterfinal after reaching that stage at Wimbledon and advancing to the semifinals at the Washington Open. The Aussie Open semifinalist is 16-7 on hardcourts this season and will be looking to reach a maiden Masters 1000 semifinal. If Shelton were to win this tournament, he would surpass Novak Djokovic and move up to 6th the world rankings.
Next up for Shelton is another man who can leapfrog Djokovic with victory this week: Alex de Minaur. De Minaur got his North American hardcourt campaign off to a fabulous start, winning a 3rd career ATP 500 title in Washington. He extended his winning streak to seven matches with a typically gutsy three-set win over Frances Tiafoe. He showed moments of defensive excellence against Tiafoe, retrieving one lost cause in what many are calling the rally of the season. He was excellent on return, converting five of ten break-point opportunities. The win drew him level with Pat Rafter for 2nd most hardcourt wins by an Aussie on tour (212). He has some way to go to match Lleyton Hewitt’s haul of 372 wins. De Minaur has been a bastion of consistency this year, reaching the Aussie Open quarters before a runner-up finish in Rotterdam. He reached the semifinals in Monte-Carlo and would go out in the final 16 at SW19.
The Verdict: Shelton to win in straight sets at 3- This will be their first career meeting. I think that Shelton’s whippy lefty serve could cause de Minaur some real problems. The Aussie is obviously in tremendous form, but Shelton’s sheer power could overwhelm him. The Aussie has spent plenty of time on court and might start to feel the pinch during this match (especially after that epic clash with Tiafoe).
Alex Zverev (1) 0.31 vs Alexei Popyrin (18) 2.4
Alex Zverev will be competing in his 9th quarterfinal in what has been a frustrating campaign. The top seed began the year in heartbreaking fashion, going down to Sinner in the Aussie Open final. His form has fluctuated since then (he won a title in Munich and would reach another final in Stuttgart). But he suffered a shock first-round defeat at the Wimbledon Championships (this is his first outing since that awful Wimbledon defeat to Rinderknech). With Sinner and Alcaraz missing out this fortnight, Zverev was granted the added pressure of the number one seeding. He eased past Walton in his opener before coming back from a set down in a nervy showing against Arnaldi. He looked completely at ease in his round of 16 clash with Cerundolo, leading 6-4, 1-0 before the Argentine was forced to retire.
Alexei Popyrin clearly has a real affinity for this event. The defending Canadian Open champion has had his struggles this year, oddly picking up his best results on the clay: he reached the Monte-Carlo quarterfinals before a 4th round run at the French Open. He- like Zverev- was knocked out in the first round of the Wimbledon Championships. But he has managed to rediscover his best form this fortnight, taking down Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune en route to the quarterfinals. He was absolutely brilliant in his round of 16 clash with Rune, firing 14 aces and hitting 29 winners to 24 unforced errors. It was a high-octane showing that highlighted how dangerous the Aussie can be.
The Verdict: Popyrin to win in three sets at 5.8- Zverev leads the head-to-head against the Aussie 3-0, defeating the Aussie in their most recent meeting at last year’s Olympic Games. Sometimes you get a feeling, and you have to go with it. Zverev has underwhelmed several times this year and Popyrin clearly has the power-based game to go toe-to-toe with anyone. I think Popyrin could have a chance here.
