ATP Tour

Shelton earns Tien revenge in Montreal, back into final: 'Super happy with performance'

Defending champion Ben Shelton returned to the National Bank Open presented by Rogers final Wednesday evening, when the American defeated countryman Leaner Tien 6-2, 6-3.

Having lost both of his previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings with Tien, Shelton made sure history did not repeat itself in Montreal, delivering a measured performance to defeat the 20-year-old, who was competing in his first Masters 1000 semi-final.

"I am super happy with the performance," Shelton, who is yet to drop a set this fortnight, said. "Learner is a guy who presents me with a lot of problems in my game. A tough challenge to overcome. To get a win over him in the fashion that I did, I'm super pleased with that."

After fending off a break point each in his opening two service games, Shelton quickly settled into the match and found greater consistency on serve. The fifth seed also matched Tien’s intensity from the baseline, edging him in the longer exchanges, motoring to victory in one hour and 24 minutes. The 23-year-old finished having saved all four break points he faced and won 81 per cent (35/43) of his first-serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

After winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the event last year, when it was held in Toronto, Shelton will look to defend his crown in Montreal on Thursday when he takes on fellow American Brandon Nakashima in the final. It will be the 15th all-American Masters 1000 final in series history, but the first since Cincinnati in 2003, when Andy Roddick beat Mardy Fish.

"It means a lot, so many American guys in the mix," Shelton said. "So many guys are doing great things for our country, for our sport. It is an honour to be playing a tournament as big as this and playing another American in the final. Brandon has been playing exceptionally this week."

Through to the second Masters 1000 final of his career, Shelton is now the sixth American to reach that stage multiple times this century after Andy Roddick (9), Andre Agassi (8), John Isner (5), Mardy Fish (4) and James Blake (2). The World No. 10 has enjoyed a perfect record in finals this year, having triumphed in Dallas, Stuttgart and Munich.

Although Tien fell short of a maiden Masters 1000 final, the 20-year-old will leave Montreal with plenty of positives. With his run to the last four, which featured wins against Gael Monfils, Tommy Paul, Thiago Agustin Tirante and Daniel Merida, Tien has climbed to a career-high No. 12 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

Tien was aiming to reach his second final of the season, having won the title in Geneva. With his quarter-final victory in Montreal, the 20-year-old became the youngest American Masters 1000 semi-finalist since a 19-year-old Roddick advanced to the last four in Toronto in 2002.