In a surprising turn of events at the WTA 1000 event in Montreal, reigning Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek fell to Clara Tauson of Denmark in straight sets, suffering a 7-6 (7-1), 6-3 defeat. This match marked a significant moment for Tauson, who avenged her earlier loss to Swiatek at Wimbledon, propelling her into the quarter-finals.
Tauson’s victory came on the heels of another stunning upset, as top seed Coco Gauff had been eliminated the previous day by Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko in straight sets. Reflecting on her performance, Tauson noted the challenging conditions, stating, “It’s tough conditions here with the wind, but I tried my best to keep my head cool and keep working.” She added that despite being broken in the second set, her confidence remained high.
In the first-set tiebreak, Swiatek managed to secure only one point, which resulted from a double fault by Tauson. Early in the second set, Swiatek was broken again, but she fought back to level the score at 4-3. Unfortunately, she could not maintain her momentum, allowing Tauson to clinch the match and set up a quarter-final showdown with Madison Keys.
Osaka’s Resurgence in Montreal
Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka showcased her potential by defeating Anastasija Sevastova in a dominant performance, winning 6-1, 6-0 in just 49 minutes. This victory marks Osaka’s first advancement to the quarter-finals of a WTA 1000 event in 19 months, the last being in Doha in March 2024.
Osaka attributed her success to a well-thought-out strategy, stating, “I had a solid plan coming in here, and it happened to work out very well.” She is currently working with former coach of Swiatek, Tomasz Wiktorowski, after parting ways with renowned coach Patrick Mouratoglou. Osaka’s next challenge will be against Elina Svitolina, who triumphed over Amanda Anisimova with a score of 6-4, 6-1.
Action Continues in Toronto
Meanwhile, in Toronto, fourth-seeded Ben Shelton displayed resilience by overcoming 13th-seeded Flavio Cobolli with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-1). Shelton admitted the match was challenging, particularly after he found himself down a break in the third set. He stated, “I gave myself a second chance and I did a good job with it.”
Shelton’s upcoming match will be against ninth-seeded Alex de Minaur, who defeated Frances Tiafoe 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. Additionally, Andrey Rublev advanced to the quarter-finals for the first time after Alejandro Davidovich Fokina had to retire from their match due to injury while trailing 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (2-7), 3-0.
Second-seeded Taylor Fritz also progressed, winning a late-night thriller against 19th-seeded Jiri Lehecka with a final score of 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5). This achievement marks Fritz’s consistent performance, as he has now reached the final eight in every Masters 1000 event.
As the tournaments proceed, tennis fans can anticipate thrilling matches as players vie for a place in the semi-finals and ultimately aim for glory at the US Open later this year.
