Defending champion Ben Shelton delivered a scintillating performance against Jakub Mensik as he registered a 6-3, 6-1 win in Montreal at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers.

The American has secured four straight-set wins in the last four matches, as he has been in exemplary form at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.

The lefty was able to make it to the next round after 73 minutes against the 13th-seeded Mensik. Shelton was delighted after he brought his A-game to the court.

“It felt great,” Shelton said. “To be honest I was really happy with my return game, the way that I played from the ground from point one for me is where I want to be at. I think that the level that I maintained throughout the match was really high and if I was nitpicking at all, it was just the way I served at the end.

“I kind of lost the rhythm on my serve, but I’m super happy with the way that I played tonight and the performance I came up with. I hope to continue and build on these things in the semis.”

Shelton smashed 18 winners and played only three unforced errors against Mensik. The American is now 12-2 at the Canadian ATP Masters 1000 event.

Shelton will next face compatriot Learner Tien in the semifinals.

On the other hand, Tien came up with a dominant 6-3, 6-2 victory against Daniel Merida in one hour and 12 minutes. The 20-year-old said Shelton is playing with a lot of confidence, and he is going to have his work cut out.

“No matter how Ben is feeling, he is going to serve well,” Tien said about playing Shelton. “He is going to hit a big ball off the baseline. He is playing with a lot of confidence right now. I saw him play earlier today. He is playing very, very well.”