Ben Shelton won the National Bank Open Thursday evening for the third and the biggest title of his young career, rallying to beat Karen Khachanov from the 11th seeded of Russia 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (3).
Shelton, 22, Seed Fourd, became the first American winner of the Masters 1000 Court Hard-Court event from Andy Roddick in 2003. Shelton also won hard grounds in Tokyo in 2023 and on Clay in Houston last year.
“It’s a surreal feeling,” said Shelton. “It was a long week, not an easy path to the final. My best tennis came out when it was the most important. I was the clutch, I persevered, I was resilient. All the qualities I like to see in myself.”
Frank Gunn / The Canadian Press via AP 
Shelton will increase a place to a sixth at the world’s career in the world. He beat Khachanov one night after exceeding the second head Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-3 in a match in the American semi-final.
“I feel like it was a perfect storm for me this week,” said Shelton. “Many tight matches and long games. I have played some of the best tennis that I have played this year.”
The winner had seven of his 16 aces in the third set, and finished the match by winning 14 consecutive points in service. He held up on love to force the break of final equality.
“He took his photos, trusted the work he did and he did,” said Bryan Shelton, his father and coach. “Sometimes you do it and sometimes you don’t do it. But it’s always good when you can leave a tournament and hold a trophy in your hands because it’s rare.”
Khachanov, 29, has seven career titles – all on hard courts. In the semi-finals, he survived a match point in another third set equality against Alexander Zverev, seeded.
“It’s a positive, a big tournament, a big race,” said Khachanov. “I had excellent battles and big victories against the best guys.”
Jannik Sinner, the best classified – the 2023 winner in Toronto – and No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz jumped the enlarged event while they are preparing for the US Open.
Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool won the final in Double All-Angless, saving four match points in a 6-3, 6-7 (5), 13-11 victory against Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski. Wimbledon champions, second seeded, won 19 consecutive games.
