Toronto, ATP Masters 1000

[stotty]

What’s Going on With Matteo Berrettini? https://share.google/tYQDWY2OTBgeiBbUq

Seems he’s been unlucky with his body. Some players are so much more prone to injury than others. What made me laugh was the line: Is Retirement a Possibility? Berrettini is just 29…
Not that long ago 29 would have been very near the end of a career, now it seems 29 is still young and considered only part way through a career.

[jimlosaltos]

Great chance for Shelton to get a Masters 1000 shield.

He's playing well, has beaten Khachanov in their only final meeting and, I don't see anything the no flag has to hurt Ben. Well, maybe Ben's own service return?

Would be great momentum going into NY.

[jimlosaltos]

Since there's nothing on the two Rogers Cup finals from last night, I'm going to post this in both threads, for your amusement, one hopes

Last night, the two finalists for the men's title in Toronto's Roger's Cup stood motionless, looking confused. It was the third set and an epic comeback was underway but play was stopped. The crowd started cheering and yelling. Nothing was happening on court. The roar spread. Ben Shelton and his opponent Karen Khachanov looked at each other. Ben turned back to the chair umpire, half confused and half annoyed. Ben walked over to veteran umpire Fergus Murphy who bent over to tell Ben, "It's <indistinct words >." Ben appeared to yell back. Fergus raised his voice over the crowd.
.
"It's MBOKO."

Some 541 kilometers East in Montreal, 18 year old Victoria Mboko had just engineered her own epic comeback, topping multiple-slam winner Naomi Osaka, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 for the women's singles title. The Toronto crowd had been following her match on their phones, like an NFL crowd cheering for an arch-rival's loss that gets the home team into the playoffs. Word spread through the stadium. They went crazy. Born Canadian to immigrants that fled violence in the Congo, she's been gleefully accepted as a local hero.

Mboko earned it, beating four major title winners in one tournament: Sophie Kenin {Remember her winning the Australian Open?}, Coco Gaufff, Elena Rybakina, and finally Osaka. That makes Mboko the youngest with that feat since Serena William in 1999. Plus, she came from behind in three of the matches. The women's final started as if it would be lopsided for the veteran, with Osaka rolling to a 6-2 first set. But Mboko is fast, returned well and hit deep. Plus, she had the crowd behind her. By the third set, Osaka had visibility and petulantly checked out, her continuing struggles with social anxiety on display. I can't imagine the challenge of facing a stadium full of people rooting against you. Perhaps one can understand why Noval Djokovic plays with such a snarl. Nah.

Eventually, the men got back to their match and Ben also won his first 1000-level title in a 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(3) comeback.

Some links:
Andrea Petkovic on Substack: "... It was the worst of times."
Victoria Mboko vs. Naomi Osaka | 2025 Montreal Final | WTA Match Highlights 5:06 min YT
Karen Khachanov vs Ben Shelton For The Title | Toronto 2025 Final Highlights 8:07 min YT
ATP on Shelton's win
WTA on Mboko's win

[stroke]

What a classy speech by Karol.https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EqDUW2YoQ/

[jeffreycounts]

What a classy speech by Karol.https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EqDUW2YoQ/

Definitely an incredibly classy speed by Khachanov. Wow. You would never see that on the women's tour. I'm a Khachanov fan after seeing that.

[jeffreycounts]

Great chance for Shelton to get a Masters 1000 shield.

He's playing well, has beaten Khachanov in their only final meeting and, I don't see anything the no flag has to hurt Ben. Well, maybe Ben's own service return?

Would be great momentum going into NY.

You called it. Ben's serve is absolutely monstrous. And his forehand is as well. The fire power coming from this kid is something else. Will he win a slam? The writer in this article thinks so:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/dan-wolken/2025/08/08/ben-shelton-us-open-grand-slam/85572288007/

[jimlosaltos]

You called it. Ben's serve is absolutely monstrous. And his forehand is as well. The fire power coming from this kid is something else. Will he win a slam? The writer in this article thinks so:


https://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...m/85572288007/

Great talent, but got a late start in focusing on tennis. So, it's not surprising he'd still be working on some basics.

A friend DM'd me during that match that when he saw Ben live, "He's such a beast. It's hard to believe when watching him that anyone can beat him." The topspin on both his serve and his forehand is enormous. Not sure that gets enough attention.

In the final Ben was returning from deep, something I don't recall him doing. Amusing exchange with his father, roughly - Dad, "Do you want to consider moving in, so it's easier to come forward?" Ben answered by ignoring him and staying back

Seemed to work on the week. So far, Ben's stuck in "Serve Bot" territory, among the worst returners. As your USA clip says, did better in Toronto.

But of the young players coming up, Ben has the most glaring and yet the most fixable flaws. During the final, Ben butchered, just butchered, several easy volleys because he was so anxious, he was bobbling and shuffling, making an easy volley tough. I assume it was just adrenalin. But, that's fixable. He's got hands. He's got speed.

Also, he still goes for ridiculously low percentage shots that leave his dad with a rueful, "He's still a kid" smile.

But, Ben's backhand can be a liability. With Ben returning from deep, Khachanov could immediately target Ben's backhand. Now I have no idea how fixable that chink in the armor is.

[stroke]

https://open.substack.com/pub/hughclarke/p/shelton-vs-khachanov-toronto-final?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=1t7zzc