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With both Leylah Fernandez and Marina Stakusic suffering losses Thursday afternoon in Toronto, no more Canadians remain in the singles competition at the National Bank Open. There’s still a little bit of CanCon in doubles — including Fernandez, who alongside sister Bianca advanced past the second round with their win over American duo Catherine Harrison and Ashlyn Krueger just hours after Fernandez’s disappointing outcome against Krueger on the singles side.
In Montreal, rain delays cut Thursday evening’s action a bit short, which means Friday brings a few more matches.
Here’s what to watch for.
Let’s try this again… Hurkacz embarks on unlikely comeback
Hubert Hurkacz’s remarkable comeback from meniscus surgery less than a month ago was pushed back a day due to rainy conditions in Montreal that prevented his match against Thanasi Kokkinakis from beginning Thursday evening. They weren’t the only players affected by the wet conditions — Americans Taylor Fritz and Sebastian Korda also had their match postponed, and Arthur Rinderknech and Flavio Cobolli will pick up where they left off when they return to their court Friday.
Here’s hoping conditions dry up and the games can go on.
Pegula, Sinner press on in title defence
Jessica Pegula, crowned NBO winner at last year’s tournament in Montreal and third seed this time around in Toronto, won her opening match Wednesday and spent Thursday awaiting her next singles opponent. With Ashlyn Krueger’s upset victory over Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, we’ve got ourselves an all-American Round of 16 matchup.
A victory for Krueger over Pegula would continue the 20-year-old qualifier’s run of success to open her tournament and would be quite the upset. The two U.S. players have met just twice before, with Pegula winning both times, including a recent dominant 6-2, 6-0 victory over Krueger at Wimbledon earlier this summer.
Meanwhile, in Montreal, Jannik Sinner, 2023 NBO champ on the men’s side and current No. 1-ranked player in the world, opened his campaign to run it back with a victory over Borna Coric Thursday and made quick work of the matinee matchup with a straight-sets victory, 6-2, 6-4. He’ll now face 15-seed Alejandro Tabilo of Chile, who’s ranked 21st in the world.
While Tabilo plays a strong game on hard court, the door for Sinner to defend his title is wide open — especially after Daniil Medvedev’s loss Thursday to Alejenadro Davidovich Fokina.
Other top-seeded men’s singles players in action on Friday are 13-seed Holger Rune against second seed Alexander Zverev kicking off the evening session at Centre Court, followed by sixth seed Casper Ruud against whichever American emerges from the rain-delayed clash between Fritz and Korda.
How far can Gauff go?
It’s been nearly one year since American Coco Gauff was crowned U.S. Open champ, winning her first major title. A long run on the hard court in Toronto would be a nice boost of momentum in her quest to defend that title as she hits her stride on the hard surface after clay and grass seasons, including competing on clay at the Olympic Games.
Gauff, the tournament’s top seed, had a bye through the first round and made quick work of qualifier Wang Yafan, 6-4, 6-4, will now take on Russian Diana Shnaider, a 14-seed in Toronto.
Other top seeds in play today on the women’s side include second seed Aryna Sabalenka, who faces Katie Boulter in Friday’s final session at Centre Court, fourth seed Jelana Ostapenko against Taylor Townend, and sixth see Liudmila Samsonova against Elise Mertens.
