What to look at for at Nationwide Financial institution Open: Thursday

Wednesday night time in Toronto noticed American Jessica Pegula, the 2023 Nationwide Financial institution Open champ and third seed on this 12 months’s match, open her title defence defeating Karolína Plíšková in straight units within the Spherical of 32.

Thursday afternoon in Montreal will see one other champ hit the courtroom to start his personal quest for a repeat win.

Right here’s what to look at for on the Nationwide Financial institution Open on Thursday, together with Canadian ladies in motion.

Sinner begins title defence

Final August, Jannik Sinner landed in Toronto looking for his first profession ATP 1000 title. One 12 months later, he not solely enters the Nationwide Financial institution Open bracket because the defending champion and match high seed but additionally as a Davis Cup champ, Grand Slam winner after claiming the crown on the Australian Open, and the top-ranked participant on the ATP Tour. That his scorching streak has included two victories over Novak Djokovic has made the Italian’s string of success that rather more spectacular.

He sat out the Olympic Video games because of sickness and now seems to choose up his streak once more in Montreal. He’ll tackle qualifier Borna Coric of Croatia in a matinee match.

Different top-seeded gamers taking to the exhausting courts Thursday in Montreal embody 2021 NBO champ Daniil Medvedev, who takes on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain within the first Centre Courtroom session of the day, 2022 champ Pablo Carreño Busta (unseeded) in opposition to Holger Rune, and 2022 runner-up Hubert Hurkacz (fourth seed), who’ll face Thanasi Kokkinakis beneath the lights.

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Can Fernandez carry momentum to extra success at dwelling?

Wednesday introduced a wave of disappointing outcomes for Canadian males in Montreal, with Felix Auger-Aliassime, Vasek Pospisil (injured), and Denis Shapovalov all bowing out within the Spherical of 64. With Gabriel Diallo’s tournament-opening loss Tuesday and Milos Raonic’s choice to tug out because of damage, no extra Canadian males stay in singles competitors at dwelling.

However over on the ladies’s facet in Toronto, two rivals are protecting Canada’s hopes for a title on dwelling courtroom alive.

Canada’s Leylah Fernandez stated she “didn’t play too nicely” in her opening-round match in opposition to Japan’s Nao Hibino Wednesday night time, however her 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 victory was sufficient to see her advance regardless of a couple of hurdles.

Hibino was a late addition to Wednesday’s lineup — the 29-year-old misplaced within the qualifiers however discovered her strategy to the primary spherical anyway after Fernandez’s preliminary opponent, Zhang Shuai, withdrew from the match because of sickness.

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Fernandez, 21, acknowledged post-match that the late change threw her off — comprehensible, once you’ve spent the higher a part of the final 48 hours analyzing another person’s movie — however she’ll now flip her consideration to a brand new problem. The Canuck and match 15-seed, who has now superior to the second spherical of the NBO for the third straight 12 months, is ready to face American Ashlyn Krueger on Thursday. Momentum sides with Fernandez following her sturdy Olympic exhibiting and Krueger’s latest struggles. The 2 have met as soon as earlier than, with Fernandez taking the match in straight units.

It’s shaping as much as be a busy match for each Fernandez and Krueger already — and the 2 will probably be nicely acquainted by day’s finish. The singles opponents are anticipated to satisfy twice on Thursday, with a Spherical of 16 doubles match set for later within the day (after appropriate relaxation). Fernandez is competing in ladies’s doubles alongside her youthful sister, Bianca. The duo defeated Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani in straight units on Tuesday. Krueger groups up with fellow American Catherine Harrison.

Fernandez, although, isn’t the lone Canuck remaining within the competitors …

Canada’s Stakusic seems to construct off profession first

Wednesday afternoon introduced a serious profession milestone for 19-year-old Canadian Marina Stakusic, who earned a comeback victory in her Nationwide Financial institution Open principal draw debut. After shedding her first set to Russia’s Erika Andreeva 6-7 (5), she bounced again to win the following by a large margin — 6-1 — earlier than claiming the match within the third and deciding set, 6-4. The win marked her first victory at a WTA 1000-level occasion.

“I simply tried to maintain telling myself to maintain preventing, to maintain making an attempt for each single level,” Stakusic, who hails from Mississauga, Ont., stated post-match, additionally expressing her gratitude to the house crowd cheering her on. “I’m at dwelling, so I need to attempt to profit from it.”

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Stakusic performed by what seemed to be a proper leg subject, receiving medical consideration mid-match — an element to look at on Thursday when she hits the courtroom once more. Requested about her leg following the victory, Stakusic indicated she’d want loads of relaxation and restoration to be prepared for her subsequent bout, a day assembly with American Taylor Townsend on the Grandstand courtroom.

Whereas a lot consideration will probably be centered on the Canadian ladies hitting the courts Thursday, there are many different intriguing matchups together with a few of the match’s top-seeded ladies in motion. Event No. 1 seed and No. 5 on the WTA Tour, Coco Gauff, kicks off motion at Centre Courtroom in opposition to Wang Yafan of China after having fun with a first-round bye. Second seed and WTA Tour No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka (vs. Yue Yuan) will get primetime billing beneath the Centre Courtroom lights Thursday night time, adopted by former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka (vs. Elise Mertens).