With a focused display, Sho Shimabukuro came through the qualifying round of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Montreal with flying colours. On the hard courts of IGA Stadium, the Japanese player dispatched Nicolai Budkov Kjær in two comfortable sets to book his place in the 96-player main draw. The 6:3, 6:4 scoreline reflects a match in which Shimabukuro was in control for long stretches.
Powerful backhand return proves decisive
Shimabukuro, currently Japan's No. 1 in ATP singles and seeded seventh in qualifying, established himself as the more consistent performer from the outset. His return game proved to be the decisive weapon: Shimabukuro converted 86 percent of his break points and used that efficiency to dominate the first set, taking it 6:3. Budkov Kjær, listed as the 27th seed in the qualifying draw, had no answer to the Japanese player's aggressive backhand return.
The break point statistics told the story plainly: while Shimabukuro converted at a rate of 86 percent, Budkov Kjær managed to hold serve on just 14 percent of the occasions he faced a break point — his service games came under relentless pressure. The double fault count was equally telling: the Norwegian committed five double faults to Shimabukuro's two.
Second set without a wobble — Shimabukuro stays consistent
Budkov Kjær attempted to turn the tide in the second set. The 19-year-old Norwegian, who in 2024 became the first Norwegian ever to win a junior Grand Slam singles title — at Wimbledon — and ended that year as the world's top-ranked junior, is a player of considerable talent. With four ATP Challenger titles to his name and a main draw debut at the 2026 Australian Open already under his belt, he has long since made the transition to professional tennis. Yet in the second set he lacked the firepower when it mattered most: Shimabukuro won 67 percent of his return games to maintain the upper hand and closed out the set 6:4 with authority.
The overall statistics confirm the impression of a dominant Shimabukuro performance: the Japanese player claimed 57 percent of total points, and also held firm on serve — winning 56 percent of service points, with a solid 52 percent on his second serve. Budkov Kjær, by contrast, won just 43 percent of total points and was unable to find a foothold in either his service games or on return.
Shimabukuro into the main draw — Budkov Kjær must wait
With his 6:3, 6:4 victory, Shimabukuro — who reached his career-high ATP ranking of 103 as recently as May 2026 — has earned a well-deserved place in the main draw of the National Bank Open. For Budkov Kjær, whose own best ranking stands at ATP No. 121, the tournament ends at the qualifying stage. The young Norwegian, however, remains a player the tennis world will continue to watch closely.
