Toronto Masters: Fritz, Shelton, Tiafoe and Rublev power through in the lower half in Toronto

American stars Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton, alongside sixth seed Andrey Rublev, secured routine wins in the lower half of the Toronto Masters 1000 dran. Frenchman Arthur Fils’ comeback ended early despite a promising start.

Taylor Fritz, Toronto 2025 | © Zuma / PsNewz

Cédric Rouquette

August 2, 2025

National Bank Open presented by Rogers •Third round • Completed

See draw

B. NakashimavsB. Shelton

The big names delivered under pressure on Friday as the lower half of the Toronto Masters 1000 draw unfolded with few surprises. Seeds Taylor Fritz (No.2), Ben Shelton (No.4), Andrey Rublev (No.6) and Frances Tiafoe (No.7) each posted commanding wins to advance, while Alejandro Davidovich Fokina extended his impressive summer surge.

Taylor Fritz, the American second seed, looked untroubled in his 6-4, 6-2 victory over local favorite Gabriel Diallo. Fritz’s trademark heavy groundstrokes and rock-solid serving kept Diallo at bay throughout a largely one-sided affair under the lights. No Canadian player will play Round of 16.

Rising star Ben Shelton continued his breakthrough season by overpowering fellow American Brandon Nakashima. Shelton imposed his left-handed serve and explosive forehand, maintaining control from the baseline and rarely looking threatened, ultimately booking his spot in the round of 16. “I felt like I executed my game plan and stayed aggressive at the right times,” Shelton said after the match.

Andrey Rublev, last year’s runner-up and sixth seed, moved past Italian Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 6-3 in windy conditions. After a tight start, Rublev took command with his forceful hitting and trademark intensity. “You can’t relax for a moment in these conditions, so I had to stay focused from the first point,” Rublev noted in his post-match comments.

This is Rublev’s first Top 50 win on hard courts since defeating No. 16 Draper to win Doha title in February.

Fils too short

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (No.20), fresh from a finalist run in Washington, built on his form with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Jakub Mensik. The Spaniard now prepares for a tantalizing showdown against Rublev, whom he bested in Barcelona earlier this year.

Frenchman Arthur Fils (No.15), returning from injury, started with optimism by defeating Pablo Carreño Busta 6-3, 6-4 but could not sustain the momentum, falling to Jiri Lehecka (No.19) in the next round. While his campaign ended early, flashes of his talent suggest he could soon be back to top form.