Canadian aspirations were disappointed at the National Bank Open on Sunday. The enthusiasm surrounding Eala-Mania during the week came to a quiet end as well.
Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., suffered a 6-4, 6-4 defeat against Japan’s Naomi Osaka in the fourth round at Sobeys Stadium. Following this, Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic triumphed over Alexandra Eala with a convincing 6-4, 6-0 victory, putting an end to the breakout star’s run from the Philippines.
Fernandez, seeded 30th, faced crucial breaks at 3-3 in both sets, leading to Osaka, the 11th seed, sealing the match with her sixth ace in a total match time of one hour and 22 minutes.
Reflecting on the match, Fernandez acknowledged that minor decisions played a determining role in the outcome. She had previously caused an upset by defeating the fifth-seeded Mirra Andreeva of Russia to reach the Round of 16.
Despite seven other Canadian players, including former champion Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., receiving wild-card entries, they were all ousted in the initial or second rounds.
Additionally, all five Canadian pairs in the doubles draw suffered defeats. Notably, Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski, ranked world No. 3, partnered with a substitute due to her regular partner, Luisa Stefani of Brazil, nursing an elbow injury.
The crowd at the center court attempted to uplift Fernandez, chanting “Let’s Go, Leylah!” intermittently during breaks on a warm and clear evening at the venue in York University.
Both players engaged in a battle of ground strokes, with Osaka’s strong serve and overall consistency proving challenging to overcome. Fernandez’s unforced errors at critical junctures in the game proved costly.
Osaka’s win secured her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal appearance since the previous year’s final at the NBO in Montreal, where she had lost to Canada’s Victoria Mboko, who missed defending her title this year due to a knee injury.
On another note, Eala, fresh from her maiden WTA title in Washington, saw her seven-match winning streak conclude. The 21-year-old impressed the audience throughout the tournament as a top-20 player.
In earlier matches, Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan and Coco Gauff from the U.S. emerged victorious, progressing to the quarterfinals at the WTA 1000 competition.
Rybakina, seeded second, overcame Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova in a challenging encounter, winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Despite a slow start, Rybakina, aided by 11 aces, managed to secure the win after a tough battle.
Gauff, the fourth seed, dominated her match against Russian qualifier Alina Korneeva, triumphing with a swift 6-3, 6-1 victory.
Additionally, doubles matches saw victories for various pairs, including Sara Errani and Nicole Melichar-Martinez from Italy and the U.S., Tereza Mihalikova from Slovakia paired with Olivia Nicholls from Britain, and Su-Wei Hsieh from Taiwan alongside Jelena Ostapenko from Latvia.
In men’s singles action, Ben Shelton exhibited a dominant performance against the rising star, Joao Fonseca of Brazil, winning 6-3, 7-6 (3) at IGA Stadium to advance to the quarterfinals. Shelton’s resilience in recovering from early setbacks showcased his determination to defend his National Bank Open title.
Shelton, known for his powerful serves reaching speeds of nearly 230 kilometers per hour, managed to outclass Fonseca, who struggled with his serve throughout the match.
The victory marked Shelton’s progression to his seventh quarterfinal at an ATP Masters 1000 event, setting up a quarterfinal clash with the 13th seed, Jakub Mensik of Czechia.
Mensik, aged 20, secured his spot in the quarterfinals by defeating Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands, setting the stage for an intense matchup against Shelton.
The National Bank Open witnessed several young talents advancing to the later stages of the tournament, including Learner Tien from the U.S. and Daniel Merida Aguilar from Spain, who both secured quarterfinal berths.
The absence of top seeds like Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic due to withdrawals, coupled with early exits of Canadian players and other favorites, has paved the way for emerging stars like Shelton to shine on the big stage.
As Shelton eyes another title, he acknowledges the competitive field of young talents, emphasizing the depth of talent present in the tournament.
