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Masters National Bank Open WTA

Anastasija Sevastova Upsets Jessica Pegula in Montreal Third Round

Anastasija Sevastova, ranked 386th, defeats two-time champ Jessica Pegula in Montreal’s National Bank Open.

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Jessica Pegula, the two-time defending champion and fourth seed, faced an unexpected exit from the National Bank Open in Montreal on Friday after falling to Anastasija Sevastova in a three-set match, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. Sevastova, a 35-year-old Latvian and former world No. 11 now ranked 386th due to maternity leave and a knee injury, capitalized on ten break-point opportunities to break Pegula’s serve six times.

“Somehow, I was down 2-0 in the second set and started to play better and better,” Sevastova remarked. “Third set, I played really good. Just trying to stay on the court as long as possible.”

This victory marks Sevastova as the lowest-ranked player to defeat a top-10 opponent since Angelique Kerber’s 2024 Indian Wells win over Jelena Ostapenko. Due to her protected ranking from injury, Sevastova gained entry to the main draw and has played only 24 WTA Tour matches in the past four years.

Pegula’s recent form has been inconsistent following her initial win over Maria Sakkari in Montreal. She exited Wimbledon and the Mubadala Citi DC Open early in July, continuing a string of disappointing results.

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Sevastova’s next challenge will be against Naomi Osaka, who advanced to the fourth round with a straight-sets victory over Jelena Ostapenko, 6-2, 6-4. Osaka, playing her first event with coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, executed five aces and converted six of nine break-point opportunities in just over an hour. She commented, “She broke me a couple times, but she’s a really good returner, so I can’t take that personally. I went in there knowing she’s a great player, and if I give her a chance she’s going to hit a winner on me, so I just tried to keep my pace and stay as solid as I could.”

Additionally, sixth seed Madison Keys overcame Caty McNally in three sets, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, noting, “Today I did a good job of bouncing back after the first set. Let go of the first set and move on. Happy I was able to do that.”

In other results, Denmark’s 16th seed Clara Tauson dominated Yuliia Starodubtseva with a convincing 6-3, 6-0 victory.

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Emma Raducanu’s Earnings and Ranking Impact at the 2025 Canadian Open

Emma Raducanu earned $33,000 and 65 ranking points at the 2025 Canadian Open before a third-round exit.

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Emma Raducanu’s run at the 2025 Canadian Open came to an abrupt end with a decisive defeat to Amanda Anisimova, who dominated the match 6-2, 6-1 in just 64 minutes. Despite previous victories over Anisimova earlier this year at the Australian Open and Miami Open, Raducanu was outplayed in Montreal. Prior to her third-round exit, Raducanu secured straightforward wins against Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Peyton Stearns.

Raducanu’s prize money from the tournament reflects her progress: she earned $12,770 for her first-round appearance, which increased to $19,705 after defeating Ruse to reach round two. By advancing to the third round with a win over Stearns, the British player took home $33,000. Had she beaten Anisimova, her prize money would have risen to $56,703. Notably, the 2025 Canadian Open saw a 44% prize increase on the WTA side compared to previous years.

In terms of ranking points, Raducanu started with 10 points simply for entering the draw, rose to 35 after reaching round two, and finished with 65 points following her second-round victory. With no points to defend from the previous year in Montreal, this offered her a chance to improve her standing ahead of the US Open.

Despite these gains, Raducanu appears set to drop four places in the WTA rankings after the next update. Her recent semi-final run at the Citi DC Open in Washington doesn’t offset the loss of points from her quarter-final performance there in 2024 due to the event’s scheduling change. Currently holding 1,405 ranking points, she will drop to 1,362, slipping from 33rd to 37th in the rankings.

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Looking ahead, Raducanu will next compete at the Cincinnati Open starting August 7th. Withdrawals from Zheng Qinwen and Paula Badosa have assured Raducanu a seeding at this WTA 1000 event, where she is projected to be the 31st seed and could rise further with more withdrawals. With no ranking points to defend in Cincinnati, it represents a significant opportunity for Raducanu to regain a top-32 position and secure a seeded spot for the final Grand Slam of 2025, the US Open.

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Masters National Bank Open WTA

Iga Swiatek Advances to Fourth Round in Montreal with Straight Sets Win Over Eva Lys

Iga Swiatek extends her win streak to nine with a commanding win over Eva Lys in Montreal.

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Wimbledon champion and second seed Iga Swiatek continued her dominant form with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Germany’s Eva Lys in the third round of the Omnium Banque Nationale in Montreal. Swiatek extended her winning streak to nine matches, further asserting her status at this WTA 1000 event.

On the night at IGA Stadium, Swiatek faced minimal resistance from world No. 69 Lys. Despite a serving percentage of just 53%, Swiatek broke Lys twice in each set and saved the only break point she encountered when leading 6-2, 3-0. Post-match, she remarked, “I’m happy I just did my job.”

Reflecting on her performance and Lys’s play, Swiatek added, “I just focused on myself and knew what my plan was. Eva played some great down the lines and was able to play some fast balls. It wasn’t easy.”

Swiatek’s journey in Canada has been smooth; she has lost only eight games in four sets since winning her sixth Grand Slam title at Wimbledon nearly a month ago. The draw has opened up with high seeds Jessica Pegula and Mirra Andreeva knocked out in the third round. Top seed Coco Gauff has also faced tough battles in consecutive three-set matches.

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Looking ahead, Swiatek’s next opponent will be No. 23 seed Clara Tauson, a matchup that may require close attention given Tauson’s consistent play. Swiatek’s run at the National Bank Open maintains its momentum as she aims to consolidate her position among the tour’s elite.

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Taylor Fritz Advances to Fourth Round at National Bank Open in Toronto

Taylor Fritz beats Gabriel Diallo to reach the fourth round of the 2025 National Bank Open in Toronto.

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In a commanding performance on Friday night at the National Bank Open in Toronto, second-seeded Taylor Fritz overcame Canadian Gabriel Diallo 6-4, 6-2 in the third round. The 27-year-old American, ranked world No. 4 and holder of 10 ATP Tour titles, including victories earlier this year on grass courts at Eastbourne and Stuttgart, now faces 19th-seeded Jiri Lehecka from Czechia. Lehecka secured his spot in the round of 16 by defeating 15th-seeded Arthur Fils of France in three sets, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Earlier in the day, sixth-seeded Andrey Rublev of Russia battled past Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. Rublev will meet Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who advanced with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Czech Jakub Mensik. Reflecting on his match, Rublev said, “In the second and third sets, I was able to play more aggressive, fewer mistakes. Let’s see what’s happening next, I’m super excited and motivated.”

Also progressing was seventh-seeded Frances Tiafoe of the United States, who edged out Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Tiafoe will face Australian Alex de Minaur, who advanced when his compatriot Christopher O’Connell withdrew from the tournament. These matches continue to highlight the competitive depth at this prestigious hard-court event.

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