Naomi Osaka from Japan surged into her first quarterfinal in 19 months by defeating Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova 6-1, 6-0 during the National Bank Open on Sunday in Montreal. Osaka claimed this win in just 49 minutes, showcasing her best form and securing a place in the next round of the tournament.
Unseeded Osaka had earlier overcome the 14th-seeded Liudmila Samsonova from Russia and 22nd-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia to reach this stage. This particular victory represented Osaka’s swiftest match completion since a similar triumph at a Brazil tournament in 2016. Reflecting on her strategy, she stated,
“I had a solid plan coming in here, and it happened to work out very well.”
—Naomi Osaka
During the match, Osaka recorded five aces and successfully converted all five break points. This marks her first appearance in a WTA 1000-level or Grand Slam quarterfinal since February 2024, Doha. She is now set to face the victor of the upcoming clash between No. 5 Amanda Amisinova and No. 10 Elinia Svitolina of Ukraine, which will further test her momentum.
Clara Tauson Upsets Iga Swiatek in a Surprising Result
In a major upset, Denmark’s 16th-seeded Clara Tauson eliminated the second seed, Poland’s Iga Swiatek, with a score of 7-6 (1), 6-3. This victory reversed their last encounter at Wimbledon where Swiatek had advanced en route to winning the title. Tauson demonstrated resilience by saving seven of nine break points against her, converting three of five break opportunities.
Despite Swiatek delivering slightly more aces (8-6) and even recording more double faults, Tauson maintained control. Swiatek had previously been on a nine-match winning streak in singles, highlighting the significance of this upset.
Madison Keys Battles to Secure a Hard-Fought Quarterfinal Spot
Madison Keys claimed her place in the Montreal quarterfinals with an intense three-set win over the Czech Republic’s 11th-seeded Karolina Muchova. After losing the first set 4-6, Keys rallied to take the next two sets 6-3, 7-5 in a match lasting two hours and twenty minutes. Keys faced immense pressure when Muchova held two match points while leading 5-4 in the final set but managed a critical break at 5-5 with a precise passing shot to turn the tide.
Reflecting on her dramatic win, Keys shared,
“I’m really happy to get that win.”
—Madison Keys
Upcoming Quarterfinals and Tournament Implications
The advancement of Madison Keys and the return of Naomi Osaka to a quarterfinal stage signals an exciting progression for the National Bank Open. Keys will now take on Tauson, who caused one of the tournament’s biggest upsets by eliminating Swiatek. Meanwhile, Osaka prepares to meet either Amisinova or Svitolina, promising compelling matches in the upcoming rounds.
These results illustrate the unpredictable nature of the competition and highlight the rising momentum of players like Keys and Osaka, who are positioning themselves strongly for further success in this WTA 1000 event.