MONTREAL — A new champion will emerge in the women’s singles at the National Bank Open!
In a stunning upset, two-time defending champion Jessica Pegula of the United States was eliminated in the third round after losing to Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova, with scores of 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 during Friday’s WTA 1000 tournament.
At 35 years old, Sevastova, who peaked at a career-high ranking of No. 11 in 2018, is presently ranked 386th.
Demonstrating resilience, Sevastova fought back from a set down and managed to break Pegula — the third seed and current world No. 4 — six times out of ten opportunities.
This defeat adds to a challenging streak for Pegula, who had previously won her first match in Montreal against Maria Sakkari of Greece but faced early exits at both Wimbledon and the D.C. Open last month.
Next, Sevastova will face Japan’s Naomi Osaka, who advanced to the fourth round with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over the 22nd-seeded Jelena Ostapenko from Latvia.
Osaka, a former world No. 1, showcased her powerful serve with five aces and converted six out of nine breakpoints, finishing the match in just 72 minutes on the center court at IGA Stadium.
In more daytime action, 16th-seeded Clara Tauson of Denmark impressed with a swift 6-3, 6-0 victory against Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva.
Highlighting the night session is Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek, the tournament’s second seed, who is set to compete against Germany’s Eva Lys in third-round action.
Currently, the lone Canadian remaining in singles or doubles is 18-year-old Victoria Mboko from Toronto, who is looking forward to an exciting fourth-round clash against top seed Coco Gauff from the United States.
Mboko staged a comeback from a set down to triumph over Czechia’s Marie Bouzkova, winning the match 1-6, 6-3, 6-0 on Thursday.
This year’s National Bank Open features a revamped format extending over 12 days with 96 players, where the top 32 seeds received byes to the second round. Mark your calendars for the tournament’s final, set for Thursday!
