Montreal Match “Shark Bites”: Previewing Saturday’s Round of 16 Action

Here’s a closer look at the feature matches on the schedule courtesy of renowned ATP stats and information guru, Greg Sharko.

Nuno Borges (POR) vs [19] Luciano Darderi (ITA) – This is the third meeting in the past three months and fourth overall meeting (Borges leads 2-1).  They first met in Auckland in January last year and the Portuguese won in three sets in the first round. A little less than two months ago, Borges won 7-6(1), 6-4 on grass in the quarterfinals of Mallorca. In their last meeting on July 17 on clay in the quarterfinals of Bastad the Italian won 7-6(9), 6-4. Borges lost the opening set of his first round match last Sunday and he’s won the last six sets played, holding all 27 service games during that time (saving five break points). Overall he has held serve 32 of 33 games. Borges is trying to reach his first career Masters 1000 quarterfinal in his fifth Round of 16 appearance (0-4), his second here in Montreal (l. to Nishikori in 2024). 

READ: Could a ‘ghost’ win the NBO?

Darderi has lost the opening set in his first and third round matches in the tournament. He’s the last remaining Italian in the tournament and he’s trying to reach his second straight Masters 1000 quarterfinal after advancing to the semifinals on home soil in Rome in May. His best result this season is winning his fifth career ATP Tour title in Santiago in February.

[23] Arthur Rinderknech (FRA) vs [28] Brandon Nakashima (USA) – The American won the only previous meeting in three sets in 2023 Lyon on clay. Both players have lost one set so far in their first two wins. Rinderknech is one of two Frenchmen remaining in the draw and this is his second Round of 16 in Montreal. He lost to No. 6 Hurkacz two years ago. He is trying to reach his fourth ATP Tour quarterfinal of the season and second career Masters 1000 quarterfinal. Last October at Masters 1000 in Shanghai he recorded four consecutive Top 20 wins to reach the final before losing to his cousin, Valentin Vacherot, in three sets in the championship match.

Nakashima, who turned 25 years old on Monday, is trying to reach his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal. He is appearing in his sixth Masters 1000 Round of 16 overall (0-5) and is one of three Americans remaining in the draw. His best result this season is a runner-up finish in Brisbane in January.

[8] Jiri Lehecka (CZE) vs [20] Rafael Jodar (ESP) – This is a first-time meeting between the two Top 15-ranked players. Lehecka is appearing in the Round of 16 at the NBO for the second straight year and in his first two matches has yet to drop a set. The Czechia No. 1 is 13-5 at ATP Masters 1000 level this season and this is the fourth time he’s reached the Round of 16 at the six events he’s played at this level in 2026. He is the first Czechia man to make back-to-back Round of 16 appearances in Canada since Tomas Berdych in 2013-14. He comes in ranked a career-high No. 12. Jodar has been the breakthrough player of the season on the ATP Tour. A year ago at this time he was ranked No. 478 (just out of college at the University of Virginia). He began this season ranked No. 168, breaking into Top 100 in March, Top 50 in April and Top 20 on August 3 at a career-high No. 15 after advancing to biggest final of his career in Washington on Monday. He captured first ATP Tour title at Marrakech in April in his first tour-level event on clay. A few weeks later at Roland-Garros, he advanced to his first Grand Slam quarterfinal in his tournament debut.

[18] Arthur Fils (FRA) vs Cameron Norrie (GBR) – This is the first meeting between the French and British players. Fils is appearing in the fourth round in the fourth of five ATP Masters 1000 events played this year. He has a 10-0 record vs. players ranked outside Top 30 on hard courts this season and owns an 8-0 record in deciding sets in 2026. In April, he captured the Barcelona title and was also runner-up in Doha in February. Norrie is coming off a dramatic 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-1 win over No. 3 seed de Minaur on Thursday as the Aussie held a match point at 5-2 in the second set before letting it slip away. It was Norrie’s 14th career Top 10 victory and second this season after beating de Minaur in Indian Wells in March. He will return to British No. 1 after the NBO, ahead of Arthur Fery.

Photo: Fabrice Michel / Tennis Canada