Tien, Mensik also advance with evening wins

Joao Fonseca caught fire to overcome a slow start against Casper Ruud at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers on Friday night. The Brazilian earned a 7-6(6), 6-3 win in Montreal to advance to the last 16 for the third time at an ATP Masters 1000 event.

He joins fellow 19-year-old Rafael Jodar in the fourth round, marking the first time two teenagers have reached the last 16 at the tournament since Denis Shapovalov and Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2018.

Fonseca will next take on fifth seed and defending champion Ben Shelton, a rematch of their Munich quarter-final won by the American earlier this season. Neither player has lost a set in two victories this week.

After allowing seven break points in his first three service games, according to Infosys ATP Stats, Fonseca surrendered a break to trail 2-4 on centre court. But he clicked into gear to break back immediately and began to assert himself with his lethal baseline game.

"These are the matches that you're most proud of, because you find a way to solve the problem," said Fonseca, who resorted to hitting aggressive second serves as first serves after his early struggles. "Today I solved it... It's a tough opponent and I'm very proud of myself."

A clutch, inside-out forehand winner started another mini-comeback from 3/5 in the first-set tie-break, with Fonseca clinching the opener on his second set point.

Turning on the style in set two, Fonseca broke for 2-0 with a highlight-filled game that included a backhand overhead winner and two backhand groundstroke winners. He did not face a break point in the second set as he clinched his fourth Top 20 win of the season.

Fonseca improved to 2-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Ruud, the former No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. His first victory came two months ago at Roland Garros, with the result sending the Brazilian into his first Grand Slam quarter-final.

Learner Tien closed Friday's play with a dominant 6-3, 6-2 win against Tommy Paul on centre court. Tien found the range on his forehand in the all-American battle after struggling off that wing in a three-set opening win against Gael Monfils.

The lefty overcame cramp in an eventful finish that featured five consecutive breaks of serve from 3-0 in set two.

"I think I've sweat more tonight than I ever have in my life," he said, alluding to the humid Montreal conditions. "But I'm just really happy to come through."

The 20-year-old is the youngest man to reach the last 16 in Canada in consecutive years since Shapovalov in 2017-18.

Jakub Mensik also advanced to the last 16 with a 6-4, 7-5 result against Terence Atmane, winning the final three games of each set. The 20-year-old is through to his second ATP Masters 1000 fourth round of the season after also reaching that stage in Madrid.

He joins Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round, making it two Czechs in the last 16 at the Canadian event for the first time since Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek in 2016.