“Not yet done”. He wrote those very words on the camera after beating Jakub Mensik 6-3 6-1 in Tuesday’s quarterfinal. Now the defending National Bank Open champion will get the chance to prove it to a familiar face.
Ben blasts into semis 😤
The title defense continues as Shelton blows past Mensik 6-3 6-1#NBO26 pic.twitter.com/wrqrxG0p16
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 11, 2026
Shelton will meet fellow American Learner Tien in Wednesday night’s semifinal after the 12th seed, Tien defeated Spain’s Daniel Merida 6-3, 6-2. Tien said he didn’t feel great in the beginning of the tournament but he keeps being better and better as it goes on.
The defending champ however has looked almost unbeatable. He is yet to drop a set in the entire tournament and has now won 10 consecutive matches in Montreal. He had 18 winners, only three unforced errors, 89% of first-serve points taken and one serve that reached 147 mph in his game against Mensik.
According to Tennis Majors, the win sent Shelton into the second Masters 1000 semi-final of his career, both at this event, making him the first man since Carlos Alcaraz at the 2023 Miami Open to reach the semi-finals while defending his maiden Masters 1000 title.
It is Shelton’s first hard-court semifinal since winning the Dallas title in February and the sixteenth tour-level semifinal of his career. Brandon Nakashima also moved into the semis, the first time since 1992 that there have been three U.S. men in the final four in Montreal. This was something Shelton was happy to point out himself.
Action continues Wednesday night as everything inevitably builds up to the last Grand slam of the year, the US Open
