Ben Shelton vs Brandon Nakashima Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Shelton to go 5-0 over Nakashima

Andrew Hendrie

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Last updated: Fri 01 Aug 2025 02:08

Andrew Hendrie 01 Aug 2025

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Ben Shelton vs Brandon Nakashima predictions for Friday's ATP Toronto R3
Shelton has won all four previous meetings between the pair in straight sets
All four of those meetings have featured at least one tiebreak
Ten of Shelton's last 11 wins have been in straight sets
Nakashima is yet to beat a top 30 player this season
The match is scheduled to start around 11.00am AEST on Saturday August 2

Expired

Ben Shelton (Photo by Getty Images)

Ben Shelton vs Brandon Nakashima Tips, Prediction & Live Stream

Fourth seed Ben Shelton will be aiming to continue his dominance over countryman Brandon Nakashima when the pair meet in the third round of the Canada Masters in Toronto on Friday night.

Ben Shelton vs Brandon Nakashima Tips, Prediction & Live Stream
Head To Head
Ben Shelton Form
Brandon Nakashima Form
Live Stream

Shelton comes into this clash having won eight of his last 10 matches and seeded in the top five at a Masters 1000 event for the first time. The American is once again in blistering form behind his first serve, winning 28/31 points in his opening Toronto win over Adrian Mannarino. In with a very real chance of picking up a maiden Masters 1000 title this tournament, Shelton has a favourable matchup for a place in the R16.

Nakashima is having a great season too and is also equipped with a big serve himself. However, this just isn't a good matchup for him. Shelton simply does everything that little bit better and Nakashima struggles with the left-handed serving. Backing Shelton in for another straight sets triumph, but Nakashima's strong serving means there's a possibility of at least one tiebreak.

Head To Head

Shelton leads 4-0, winning all four previous meetings in straight sets - although, there's been at least one tiebreak in all four matches too.

Ben Shelton Form

Shelton comes into this contest with a 27-16 record for the season and at a career-high ranking of No. 7 - but he's also still searching for his first title of 2025.

However, that's not too surprising as Shelton has repeatedly proven he saves his best tennis for the bigger events.

The American started off the season by reaching the Australian Open semi-finals, while he's also made the quarter-finals of Indian Wells and Wimbledon. Shelton also reached the ATP 500 final in Munich on clay and the R16 at Roland Garros, improving his clay form.

The 22-year-old began his North American hardcourt summer with a solid semi-final run in Washington last week, going down to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Shelton dominated Adrian Mannarino 6-2, 6-3 in his Toronto opener, winning 90 per cent of points behind his first serve.

Brandon Nakashima Form

Nakashima has registered a 24-19 record so far this season, hitting a career-high ranking of No. 29 in May (currently ranked No. 31).

The American has won back-to-back matches at his last four consecutive tournaments, reaching quarter-finals in Stuttgart and Queen's Club, along with the third round of Wimbledon and the quarter-finals in Washington last week, where he went down to Alex de Minaur.

Nakashima was also a semi-finalist in Acapulco and Houston earlier this season, so the consistency is certainly there - but taking that next step towards the top 20 is proving problematic.

That's because Nakashima still hasn't beaten a top 30 player this season. The 23-year-old got his Toronto campaign up and running with a 7-6 6-4 win over Ethan Quinn, who he also beat in Washington last week.

Live Stream

Watch and bet on Ben Shelton vs Brandon Nakashima live Canada Masters tennis from Toronto.

You can watch and bet on the match live at Unibet > Tennis > ATP Toronto with the action available to stream on desktop and mobile.

Geo-restrictions apply, you'll need a funded account or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours to gain access. 18+ terms and conditions apply.

Verdict

Ben Shelton v Brandon Nakashima

Shelton has won all four previous meetings in straight sets and Nakashima hasn't defeated a top 30 player all season, let alone someone in the top 10.

However, each match has featured at least one tiebreak, so there's a decent chance for this to also go over 24.5 total games.