Whether he likes it or not, Ben Shelton and late-night thrillers have become a thing now. Remember the five-set thriller he snatched from Lorenzo Sonego at the French Open earlier this season? The American ATP pro came back from two sets down to snatch his victory from the brink of defeat. “This was a tough one for sure,” the 22-year-old later exclaimed. And this week, the rising talent once again showed his fighting spirit and never-give-up attitude against an equally capable young lad on Friday night in Toronto.

Last week, it was Tiafoe, and this time, Brandon Nakashima. Seems like Shelton can’t catch a break when it comes to facing tough challenges from his own compatriots. Nakashima almost sent Shelton packing at the Canadian Open. Not to mention the late-night weather was playing spoilsport for him. But he stayed firm. The American took the first set, but lost the second one before making a triumphant return. In the decider, he bested Nakashima in a tight tie-break battle, eventually entering the fourth round with a score-line of 6-7, 6-2, 7-6(5). In the end, his reaction of relief said it all.

During the on-court interview, Shelton spoke of the harsh court conditions, given his late-night scheduling. But all’s well that ends well, right? “For me, playing a late-night match, the last match of the night, is never easy. Especially when the temperature cools down like this, different conditions.” He then mentioned the biggest source of motivation for him on the court. “But you know, having a full crowd, seeing so much energy throughout the crowd here, and the noise after every point is huge for me. It’s something that I live off of, and I am really happy with this win.”

In what’s now been called “the match of the tournament”, Shelton witnessed multiple rollercoaster moments. At one point, Nakashima was calling the shots. But then the 22-year-old kept pushing further. The marathon 2-hour-36-minute back-and-forth fight finally came to an end when Shelton struck a missile-like ace, sending a serve past Nakashima and the crowd roaring in celebration.

But guess what? The journey is still far from finished at the Canadian Open. And Shelton knows it very well. Going forward, he’s got only one objective on his mind. Which is?

Ben Shelton is still looking for “that sweet spot”

While he’s been in stellar form this week, Ben Shelton‘s past record at the ATP 1000 event shows there’s still room for improvement. For the uninitiated, he’s played in Toronto twice. He made his debut in this tournament in the 2023 edition. But he failed to move past the R32 after losing to five-time slam champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Last season, he had a similar fate as well. Shelton couldn’t cross the R32 hurdle after Australia’s Alexei Popyrin ousted him in straight sets with a score line of 6-4, 7-6. Now that he’s finally made it to the R16 at the Canadian Open for the first time, the World No.7 made his intentions very clear.

“Yeah, for sure I always wanna go one step further than the year before…given to the deeper parts of the tournament, sometimes in tennis we always try to compete for titles. At the Masters 1000, I haven’t had that sweet spot yet, but I’m getting closer and closer, and matches like these certainly help.” said the American ATP star.

Next up, Shelton will face Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in the fourth round on Sunday. What might be a reason of concern for Shelton is that he’s current trailing 1-2 in the H2H tally. Last time they met, however, it was the American who emerged victorious earlier this season in the R32 in Acapulco. Perhaps that win will act as a much-needed push for Shelton. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.