Canadian hopes were shattered on Sunday at the National Bank Open as Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., fell to Japan’s Naomi Osaka in the fourth round. Fernandez, seeded 30th, lost 6-4, 6-4 to Osaka, the 11th seed. Meanwhile, Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic defeated Alexandra Eala in a 6-4, 6-0 match, ending Eala’s impressive run from the Philippines.
Fernandez struggled to hold serve, being broken at 3-3 in both sets. Osaka’s strong serve and consistency proved challenging for Fernandez to overcome. Despite her earlier upset against Mirra Andreeva, Fernandez couldn’t maintain her momentum in the match against Osaka.
The defeat marked Osaka’s first WTA 1000 quarterfinal appearance since last year. Eala, fresh off her WTA crown in Washington, saw her seven-match winning streak halted. In other matches, Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff secured victories to advance to the quarterfinals at the WTA 1000 competition.
In the men’s singles draw, Ben Shelton defeated Joao Fonseca to advance to the quarterfinals at the National Bank Open in Montreal. Shelton, the fifth seed, displayed dominance with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory, showcasing his strong serve and resilience in overcoming early setbacks. Fonseca acknowledged his shortcomings, praising Shelton’s performance.
Shelton, the defending champion, will face Jakub Mensik in the quarterfinals. Mensik, who defeated Botic van de Zandschulp, anticipates a challenging match against Shelton. The tournament witnessed several upsets and withdrawals, with Shelton emerging as a top contender in the remaining rounds.