The National Bank Open in Montreal arrives at its Final, with two American players set to contest the championship match. Shelton, ranked fifth in the world, faces compatriot Nakashima, ranked 32nd, in what will be the headline showdown of the day.
Ben Shelton vs. Brandon Nakashima - Final
These two have met five times on tour, and Shelton has won every single encounter, holding a perfect 5-0 head-to-head record over Nakashima. Their most recent meetings include a 7-5, 7-6(9) victory for Shelton at the US Men's Clay Court Championship in Houston, a 7-6(5), 7-6(4) win at the Citi Open in Washington, and a 7-6(3), 7-5, 7-5 result at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Notably, one of those five victories came at the National Bank Open in Toronto, where Shelton prevailed 6-7(8), 6-2, 7-6(5) in the third round, giving him experience winning tight matches against Nakashima across multiple surfaces and tournament contexts. With Shelton ranked 27 places above Nakashima and an unblemished record in their series, the fifth seed enters as the clear favorite on paper, though several of their previous meetings have gone to tiebreaks, suggesting Nakashima is capable of pushing him deep into sets.
Prediction: Ben Shelton wins the Final and claims the Montreal title.
