Andrey Rublev beat Hugo Gaston 6-2 6-3 to score his 250thwin on hard courts at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.
Rublev hit 19 winners to 17 unforced errors. He reached the final of the Canadian Open last year finishing runner-up to Alexei Popyrin.
Rublev will aim to win his second title of the season after winning in Doha. He set up a third round match against Lorenzo Sonego.
Rublev followed a Round if 16 defeat at Wimbledon with a semifinal at Los Cabos and a first round exit in Washington.
Gaston converted just one of his five break points.
Rublev broke serve at 30 in the second game to take a 2-0. The Russian a saved four break points in the third game of the first set to open up a 3-0 lead. Gaston broke back in the fifth game, Rublev broke twice in the sixth and eighth games to claim the first set 6-2.
Rublev broke in the second game of the second set to open up a 3-0 lead. Gaston saved a match point in in the eighth game. Rublev sealed the win on his fourth match point.
Ben Shelton cruised past Adrian Mannarino 6-2 6-3 tp reach the third round.
Mannarino saved three break points in the second game. Shelton broke twice in the fourth and eighth games to win the first set 6-2.
Shelton converted his third break point in the eighth game to cruise to a 5-3 lead. He made a double fault in the final game but he saved a break point. The US player sealed the win with a 16th ace followed by a service winner on match point.
Shelton lost to Mannarino twice in Miami in 2023 and at the Australian Open in 2024
“I have played good matches against him but come up short. He makes things really difficult and returns really well. So the way that I served today, to take the racquet out of his hands, I knew I had to be accurate. Usually with him a big serve doesn’t always work, because his hands are so good and he stands up on the baseline. I have to hit spots and I hit spots really, really well today. I am really happy with the way I served”, said Shelton.
