Canadian hopes were shattered on Sunday at the National Bank Open, as Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., fell to Japan’s Naomi Osaka in a 6-4, 6-4 defeat in fourth-round action at Sobeys Stadium. Additionally, Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic triumphed over Alexandra Eala of the Philippines with a decisive 6-4, 6-0 victory, ending the breakthrough star’s impressive run.
During the match, the 30th-seeded Fernandez faced crucial break points at 3-3 in both sets, ultimately succumbing to Osaka’s strong performance, which included a total of six aces. Fernandez expressed her disappointment, acknowledging that small decisions throughout the match had a cumulative impact on the final outcome.
Fernandez had previously caused an upset by defeating the fifth-seeded Mirra Andreeva of Russia to advance to the Round of 16. However, the hopes of seven other Canadian players, including former champion Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., were dashed as they were eliminated in the early rounds.
Despite the near-capacity crowd’s support and occasional chants of “Let’s Go, Leylah!” at the venue, Fernandez struggled to match Osaka’s consistency and strong serves. Critical unforced errors at pivotal moments cost Fernandez the match, allowing Osaka to secure her spot in the WTA 1000 quarterfinals.
In the men’s singles draw, Ben Shelton demonstrated his dominance by defeating Brazilian Joao Fonseca 6-3, 7-6 (3) in the Round of 16 at IGA Stadium. Shelton, the defending champion, showcased his resilience by recovering from early breaks in both sets and utilizing his powerful serves to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
Shelton’s victory sets up a quarterfinal clash with Jakub Mensik of Czechia, who defeated Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands in straight sets. As the highest-ranked player remaining in the tournament, Shelton expressed confidence and excitement for the upcoming match against Mensik.
The National Bank Open witnessed several impressive performances, including Elena Rybakina’s hard-fought victory over Liudmila Samsonova and Coco Gauff’s dominant win against Alina Korneeva. Doubles winners included pairs from Italy, America, Slovakia, Britain, Taiwan, and Latvia.
The tournament also saw the rise of young talents like American Learner Tien and Spain’s Daniel Merida Aguilar, who advanced to the quarterfinals. The absence of top seeds like Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic created opportunities for emerging players to shine, with Shelton emerging as a potential future star in the competitive tennis landscape.