Fritz Outlasts Lehecka, Shelton Roars Back to Reach Quarters

Were Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, and Frances Tiafoe all to win, the United States would have made up 50 per cent of the quarter-final lineup at the 2025 National Bank Open after Alex Michelsen was victorious on Saturday.

The inaugural wheelchair tennis event at the NBO also kickrf off on Sunday at Sobeys Stadium with three matches on Court 4.

Follow the results as they happen.

CENTRE COURT - start at 12:30 PM

• [9] Alex de Minaur (AUS) d. [7] Frances Tiafoe (USA) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
  • Early on, this match threatened to be one-way traffic for the 2023 Toronto runner-up. De Minaur had more jump in his step as he raced out to a quick 4-0 lead. He then broke again to start the second but Tiafoe responded as the first four games went to the returner. Still, de Minaur had a break point at 4-4 that could have gotten him out in straight sets, but Tiafoe held and then broke to send the match to a decider. The third set was a nailbiter, with both men upping their level, but this time de Minaur gritted out the decisive break in the ninth game.  
• [6] Andrey Rublev d. [20] Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP) 6-7(3), 7-6(2) 3-0 ret.
  • There was not a single break of serve in the first two sets as the two men traded body blows for over two hours. After splitting the tiebreaks, Davidovich Fokina's body gave out early in the third and retired after Rublev took the first three games.

Not Before 7:00 PM

• [13] Flavio Cobolli (ITA) d. [4] Ben Shelton (USA) 6-4, 4-6 7-6(1)
  • After doing his thing in the first set, Shelton got a bit of a taste of his own medicine in the second and third sets, as the Italian piled the pressure on the American's mighty serve while defending his own well. Cobolli took the second and then served for the match at 5-4 in the third but that's when the fourth seed turned on the jets. He broke back, nearly broke again for the match in the 12th game, and then won all of Cobolli's service points in the tiebreak.
• [2] Taylor Fritz (USA) d. [19] Jiri Lehecka (CZE) 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 7-6(5)
  • In a match with no breaks of serve, it was Fritz who managed to hold his nerve in the final set tiebreak. The Czech led 4-2 in the breaker but Fritz won five of the last six points to avoid the upset.

MOTOROLA RAZR GRANDSTAND COURT - start at 12:30 PM

• [1] Marcelo Arevalo (ESA) / Mate Pavic (CRO) d. Nikola Mektic (CRO) / Rajeev Ram (USA) 6-3, 6-4
  • Things got a little dicey for the top seeds when they let their break lead slip away in the second set, but they responded immediately to break back for 5-4 before serving out the match.
• Austin Krajicek (USA) / Horacio Zeballos (ARG) vs [6] Joe Salisbury (GBR) / Neal Skupski (GBR) 7-6(2), 6-1
  • The first set was tight, with the sixth seeds having to rally from 4-1 and 5-3 down just to get to a tiebreak. They used the breaker as a springboard, dominating it and then cruising through the second set.

Not Before 4:00 PM

• Maximo Gonzalez (ARG) / Andres Molteni (ARG) d. Andre Goransson (SWE) / Sem Verbeek (NED)4-6, 7-6(5), 10-8
  • Gonzalez and Molteni never held a break point in the match and yet played better in the tiebreaks to score the win.
• [Alt] Fernando Romboli (BRA) / John-Patrick Smith (AUS) d. [3] Harri Heliovaara (FIN) / Henry Patten (GBR) 6-4, 6-7(9), 10-7
  • Romboli and Smith had two match points in the second set tiebreak but could not convert. They then trailed the match tiebreak 3-1, only to win five of the next six points to take a lead they never relinquished.

COURT 1 - start at 4:30 PM

• Wheelchair - Thomas Venos (CAN) d. Shawn Courchesne (CAN) 7-1, 3-7, 7-5
  • Venos started strong but had a hard time putting Courchesne away. He struggled in the second tiebreak and then missed his first two match points at 6-3 in the third, but finally closed it out with a big serve.
• Wheelchair - Rob Shaw (CAN) d. Barry Henderson (CAN) 7-4, 8-6
  • Shaw seemed well on his way to victory when he led the second breaker 5-3 after taking the first, but he ended up needed to save a set point at 5-6 before closing it out with a forehand that painted the line.
• Wheelchair - Thomas Venos (CAN) / Rob Shaw (CAN) d. Barry Henderson (CAN) / Shawn Courchesne (CAN) 6-2
  • Henderson and Courchesne got off to a strong start, breaking on their way to a 2-0 lead. But once Shaw and Venos found their rhythm, there was no stopping them as they won six straight games.

The ATP's best return to Toronto this summer for the National Bank Open presented by Rogers July 26 to Aug. 7, 2025 at Sobeys Stadium. 2025 Tickets are on sale. Get your tickets today!

Feature Photo : Geoff Robins