Canadian Open Montreal ATP Day Eight Round-Up | Ben Shelton puts Fonseca away as Jakub Mensik keeps making noise

The Canadian Open quarter-final lineup continued to take shape on Day Eight, with several of the tournament’s leading contenders advancing through contrasting battles in Montreal. Daniel Mérida continued his rapid rise, while Learner Tien and Jakub Mensik also booked their places in the last eight after overcoming demanding opponents.

Defending champion Ben Shelton came through one of the most anticipated matches of the day, holding off João Fonseca as the American’s experience proved decisive at the biggest moments. With the final quarter-final spot still to be decided, the battle for the Montreal title is entering its decisive stage.

Mérida produced another statement performance in Montreal, defeating Griekspoor to reach his first Masters 1000 quarter-final and secure his debut inside the ATP Top 40. The 20-year-old Spaniard was made to work early, constantly applying pressure to Griekspoor’s serve but failing to convert several opportunities before finally finding the breakthrough. Once ahead, however, Mérida took control and protected his serve confidently, adding another break late in the set to close it out 6-3.

The second set quickly turned into a one-sided affair as Mérida found another level. He broke Griekspoor twice in the opening games and combined those breakthroughs with increasingly assured serving to win seven games in a row. The Spaniard moved within one game of a bagel at 5-0, but Griekspoor finally held to avoid the shutout. Mérida remained composed, though, serving out the match comfortably to complete a 6-3, 6-1 victory and continue his rapid rise.

The result adds another major milestone to Mérida’s breakthrough season. Just months after making his first significant move into the Top 100, the Spaniard has now reached the Top 40 and is into the quarter-finals of a Masters 1000 tournament. He will now face another major test as he looks to continue his run in Montreal.

Tien had to recover from an early setback before settling into the match against Tirante. The American fell behind with an early break but immediately responded, recovering the deficit at 2-2 and keeping his composure as the first set became increasingly competitive. Neither player was able to establish sustained control, but Tien raised his level in the closing stages and found a late break to take the opener 6-4.

The second set began much better for Tien, who broke immediately and then survived a difficult stretch on serve. The American saved as many as six break points while protecting his advantage and moved ahead 3-0. Tirante refused to go away, holding his serve and continuing to create pressure on Tien, but the Argentine could not capitalize on his opportunities. Tien eventually regained control and moved to match point on serve.

Tirante showed considerable resistance in the final game, saving four match points before Tien finally closed out the contest. The American's ability to survive the pressure and maintain his level behind his serve proved decisive, allowing him to complete a 6-4, 6-4 victory and book his place in the Montreal quarter-finals.

Shelton came through one of the most closely watched matches of the day, defeating Fonseca to continue his title defence in Montreal. The American initially fell behind after an exchange of early breaks, but quickly recovered and restored parity. From there, both players became increasingly secure behind their serves, although Shelton looked more consistent with his first delivery and more effective on second serve. He waited patiently for another opening and found it late in the set, breaking Fonseca to take the opener 6-3.

Fonseca responded strongly at the start of the second set, immediately moving ahead with a break and consolidating it with confident serving to establish a 3-0 lead. Shelton, however, refused to panic and needed only a few games to recover the break at 3-3. That shifted the momentum decisively, with Fonseca beginning to look less comfortable under pressure while Shelton continued to dictate more effectively and make the Brazilian work on his service games.

Fonseca managed to hold on and force another tense finish, but Shelton's level on serve ultimately made the difference. The defending champion produced the better tennis in the decisive moments and secured the victory in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. Shelton now moves into the quarter-finals with his title defence still alive and another step toward remaining inside the ATP Top 10.

Mensik survived a tightly contested opening set in which neither player created a break opportunity until the closing stages. With both men largely protecting their serves and avoiding extended baseline exchanges, the Czech gradually began to look more threatening on return, although there was little separating the two throughout most of the set. The pressure finally told when Van de Zandschulp served at 4-5, as Mensik created the first break point of the match and immediately converted it to take the opener 6-4.

The second set followed a similar pattern, with both players continuing to rely on their serves and keeping the score close. Van de Zandschulp finally found the breakthrough in the ninth game, moving ahead 5-4 and earning the chance to serve for the set. Mensik, however, responded immediately by breaking back to level the score and completely changed the momentum of the match. The Czech then held to move ahead before breaking again at the end, winning the final three games in a row to complete a 6-4, 7-5 victory.