Ben Shelton, Brandon Nakashima set up all-American duel in Montreal

Ben Shelton of the United States reacts during his match against compatriot Learner Tien during a semifinal tennis match at the National Bank Open in Montreal on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

MONTREAL— Defending champion Ben Shelton beat fellow American Learner Tien 6-2, 6-3 on Wednesday night to advance to the National Bank Open final.

The fifth-seeded Shelton will face Brandon Nakashima in an all-American final. The 28th-seeded Nakashima beat 19-year-old Rafael Jodar of Spain 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the first semifinal to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 final.

READ: Defending champion Ben Shelton rolls into Montreal semis

Shelton has six career victories, with the 23-year-old player winning this year in Dallas, Munich and Stuttgart.

“Super happy with the performance,” Shelton 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.”

The 20-year-old Tien was seeded 12th.

Nakashima won his lone tour title in 2022 in San Diego.

“Going into the tournament, I knew I was playing at a really high level, so I knew that I could get a go on a deep run here,” Nakashima said. “Obviously, wasn’t thinking about the final or anything.”