Iga Swiatek sinks, Naomi Osaka shines at Canadian Open
Iga Swiatek (right) congratulating Clara Tauson for her victory in the Canadian Open round of 16 on Aug 3.
MONTREAL – Iga Swiatek was the latest top player to suffer an upset loss in Montreal as the Wimbledon champion and tournament second seed fell 7-6 (7-1), 6-3 to Dane Clara Tauson in the Canadian Open round of 16 on Aug 3.
The 22-year-old Tauson used her creativity and firepower to frustrate the six-time Grand Slam champion from Poland, staying calm when she was broken in the second set and sealing the win when Swiatek's backhand landed in the net.
Said Tauson: 'I'm getting more confidence in this kind of level and feeling like I belong here a bit more. I think that really helped me today in the important points,' she added.
Swiatek's loss came a day after top seed Coco Gauff was stunned in straight sets by Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko, and both Swiatek and Gauff will look to sharpen their games ahead of the start of the US Open later in August.
World No. 1 and US Open defending champion Aryna Sabalenka is not competing in Montreal.
Tauson, seeded 16th, will face Madison Keys in the quarter-finals after the big-serving American saved two match points to emerge with a hard-fought 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 win over Czech Karolina Muchova.
Tauson beat Keys in their only previous meeting in Auckland in January. Keys went on to capture her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open later that month.
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Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka showed flashes of her past dominance to reach the quarter-finals, needing just 49 minutes to steamroll Anastasija Sevastova 6-1, 6-0.
It marks the first time the Japanese player has advanced to the last eight of a WTA 1000 event in 19 months, which came in Doha in 2024.
Osaka, who has struggled for consistency since returning from maternity leave in 2024, said the coaching shake-up she instigated last week – parting with Patrick Mouratoglou after less than a year and teaming up on a trial basis
with former Swiatek coach Tomasz Wiktorowski – had energised her.
'I enjoy his coaching style. He's very direct and to the point. For someone like me, who my thoughts scatter around often, it's very helpful,' said Osaka, who lost in the first round of the French Open and the third round at Wimbledon and arrived in Montreal ranked 49th in the world.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka will face Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, who saw off American Amanda Anisimova 6-4, 6-1, for a place in the semis.
Naomi Osaka said the coaching shake-up she instigated last week had energised her.
PHOTO: REUTERS
On the men's side of the tournament, which is being played in Toronto, Alex de Minaur used his speedy defence to edge out American Frances Tiafoe 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
The ninth-seeded Australian, who is coming off a victory at the ATP 500 Washington Open and who is in search of his first Masters 1000 title, will next face American Ben Shelton, who beat Italy's Flavio Cobolli 6-4 4-6, 7-6, (7-1).
'It was never going to be easy and Frances has the ability to turn the switch on whenever he wants, so it is always very tricky to put him away,' de Minaur said.
'I think I battled him, myself, and the conditions and I am happy to sneak away with a win today.'
Russian sixth seed Andrey Rublev advanced to the quarter-finals of the tournament for the first time after Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina was forced to retire from the match with an injury while trailing 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (2-7), 3-0.
Second-seeded American Taylor Fritz beat 19th-seeded Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5) to set up a date with Rublev. REUTERS, AFP
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