Shelton dominant from the outset
In the semifinal of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Montreal, fifth-seeded Benjamin Todd Shelton defeated twelfth-seeded Learner Tien 6:2, 6:3. It was an all-American clash between two left-handers — and it ended as a clear show of force from the defending champion. Shelton was the only player in the entire draw to reach the semifinal without dropping a single set.
The opening set started evenly: the first five games were tight, and Shelton had to fend off an early break point from Tien. But then he hit back. Breaking to lead 4:2, Shelton took control from the baseline and never looked back. He won 81 percent of points on his first serve and held every service game throughout — the set concluded with a commanding 6:2.
Bleeding wound fails to stop Shelton
In the second set, Shelton broke Tien's serve early and quickly moved ahead 4:1. Then came the dramatic moment of the match: chasing down a lob from Tien, Shelton collided with the back wall and sustained a bleeding wound on his elbow and hand. A medical timeout was required. Yet rather than losing his rhythm, Shelton later said he played four of the best return points of his entire tournament immediately afterwards. The incident seemed to fire him up rather than slow him down.
Tien, for his part, fought tenaciously despite what appeared to be issues with his right elbow. The 20-year-old, contesting his first Masters 1000 semifinal, gave everything he had — but it was not enough to dent Shelton's dominance. The set went to Shelton 6:3.
Strong record, clear numbers
The match statistics reflected the balance of power. Shelton converted three of five break points and saved all four break points he faced — a break point save rate of one hundred percent. Tien, by contrast, converted none of his break point opportunities. Shelton struck 22 winners against just 23 unforced errors; Tien managed 13 winners but committed 30 unforced errors and five double faults.
Notably, Tien had led their head-to-head 2:0 going into the match, with wins in Mallorca and Indian Wells in 2026. Shelton has now pulled it back to 1:2 — and at the most decisive moment imaginable. With his place in the final secured, he stands on the brink of defending his title from last year. The semifinal was also a historic moment for American tennis: for the first time since 1992, three US players reached the semifinals of the Canadian ATP Masters 1000 event.
