Turned it

Shelton defeats Nakashima in Toronto

7-6(8) 2-6 6-7(5) 0-0 0-0

Ben Shelton defeated Brandon Nakashima 6-7(8) 6-2 7-6(5) in the first round of the Toronto ATP singles event on hard court. Shelton dropped the opening set in a tiebreak before taking the second and closing out a tiebreak in the third to advance. The win gives Shelton a 2-0 head-to-head lead over Nakashima based on records entering this match.

Match context

Why this one matters

A win in a 1/16 finals match at Toronto on hard courts is another data point in the argument Shelton's game keeps making: that first-strike tennis — the serve, the forehand behind it, the forward pressure — holds up week over week, not just on highlight reels.

  • Lost opening set tiebreak 6-7(8)
  • Won final set tiebreak 7-6(5)
  • 2-0 h2h lead over Nakashima

Share this match