
Coco Gauff earns double-fault-filled win in Montreal
Top-seeded Coco Gauff survived a stiff second-round test from Danielle Collins, prevailing 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (2) in an all-U.S. matchup at the Omnium Banque Nationale on Tuesday in Montreal.
Gauff, who won the French Open last month for her second Grand Slam title, overcame a whopping 23 double faults. She served only three aces, though one came on her match point in the third-set tiebreaker. Collins' success ratio in that category wasn't much better, as she had two aces and 13 double faults.
Both players converted nine of their 16 break-point opportunities.
Gauff advances to a third-round match against Russia's Veronika Kudermetova, who topped 29th-seeded Olga Danilovic of Serbia 6-4, 6-2.
Earlier Tuesday, Aoi Ito of Japan completed a stunning comeback to eliminate Italian No. 7 seed Jasmine Paolini, and hometown favorite Leylah Fernandez also experienced an early exit.
Ito, ranked No. 110 in the world, was down a set and a break before charging back to upset Paolini 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5) in second-round action. Ito trailed 4-1 in the second set before coming back to tie the score; she saved one match point in the 10th game on her way to forcing the third set.
Ito controlled most of the third set before Paolini forced the tiebreaker. The Italian held several one-point leads in the back-and-forth tiebreaker but Ito came back from down 5-4 to record the final three points of the match.
Ito, 21, had not won a tour-level match all season until beating Katie Volynets in the first round Sunday.
That made it even more shocking that she could oust Paolini, who already has two WTA 1000 titles under her belt this year in Qatar and Italy.
Ito won despite committing 11 double faults. She converted 7 of 10 break points against Paolini while saving 11 of the 19 break points she faced.
As for Fernandez, she never held a lead in a 6-4, 6-1 first-round defeat to Australian Maya Joint. Fernandez had beaten Joint in the first round of last week's WTA 500 event in Washington, D.C., where the Canadian went on to capture the biggest title of her career.
It was not a banner day for the Canadian contingent. No. 8 seed Emma Navarro breezed past Canada's Rebecca Marino 6-1, 6-2 in 63 minutes.
Bianca Andreescu, meanwhile, withdrew due to a foot injury, allowing a walkover for fourth seed Mirra Andreeva of Russia. The Ontario native was the 2019 Canadian Open and U.S. Open champion.
In another first-round match, Caty McNally battled past fellow American Alycia Parks 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7). McNally fell behind 3-0 in the third-set tiebreaker and saved two match points before she pulled in front.
Other Round of 64 winners included No. 9 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan; No. 15 Daria Kasatkina of Australia; No. 24 Marta Kostyuk and No. 30 Dayana Yastremska, both of Ukraine; Russia's Anna Kalinskaya; Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro; Romania's Jaqueline Cristian; the Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova; China's Lin Zhu; and the Netherlands' Suzan Lamens.
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Ottawa Citizen
17 minutes ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Inside the CFL: Draft snub fuels Alouettes rusher Thomas Erlington's long run in pro football
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Montreal Gazette
17 minutes ago
- Montreal Gazette
Inside the CFL: Draft snub fuels Alouettes rusher Thomas Erlington's long run in pro football
Montreal Alouettes By As a Canadian tailback, Sean Thomas Erlington didn't believe he would be selected in the first round of the 2017 CFL draft. But neither did he think he'd last until the eighth, and final, round on draft night, when Université de Montréal players gathered at CEPSUM for a watch party. Sixty-five names were called before Thomas Erlington heard his, selected 66th overall by Hamilton. Only five players were taken after him. 'After the seventh round I made up my mind — I'm not getting drafted,' Thomas Erlington, 33, the Alouettes' starting tailback, told The Gazette this week. 'Nothing against those guys, but I saw a lot (being drafted) I felt I was better than. It was late in the draft. All I wanted was a shot.' As he was about to resign himself to what seemed inevitable, Thomas Erlington heard a shout from the back of the room. But while there was some immediate relief, reality also quickly set in. 'When you're taken in the eighth round, you're not necessarily in the plans,' he quipped. But Thomas Erlington proved to be an exception, spending six seasons with the Tiger-Cats — starting for Hamilton in 2019 before suffering a torn knee ligament after four games. He signed with Montreal as a free agent in 2024. And Als management thought so highly of his running and blocking skills, the team made him the surprise starter this season at the expense of import Walter Fletcher. Thomas Erlington played his 100th career game on July 5 against B.C. 'When you look at the career span in the CFL, it's pretty low,' said the Montreal native. 'Being able to make it five, six years and plus ... it's a big deal. That number marks a good milestone for any CFL player. I didn't think I'd get to 100, but I kept going, rolling with the punches. And here I am.' The Als didn't have a first-round pick in 2017, having traded it for quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., now with Calgary. Few from that draft class remain active, including only one — Toronto linebacker Cameron Judge — who was selected in the first round. Als general manager Danny Maciocia, the Carabins' head coach at the time, remembers being astonished as round after round was completed without hearing Thomas Erlington's name. 'I don't remember what he was going through, but I remember what I was going through,' Maciocia said. 'I couldn't believe that he was getting overlooked. I'll go a step further — and I have no problem saying this — this is a guy that should have been drafted by the Alouettes. In their own backyard. On the other side of the mountain. Had the Alouettes ... paid attention, he should have been here. It wasn't a question of him being a first- or second-round pick. Do the math. 'This one was a serious miss. I never had the conversation, but I know him well enough. I know what drives him. That might have been the best thing that ever happened to him. He had to go out there with a chip on his shoulder and prove to people that he's able and capable of playing in this league and playing at a relatively high level. Sometimes you're better off breaking into the league and playing for another team and having the opportunity, hopefully, to finish it in your hometown.' Thomas Erlington's statistics won't dazzle anyone, but only four teams run the ball less than the Als. He has 66 carries for 308 yards (a solid 4.6-yard average) and two touchdowns . He has also caught seven passes for 61 yards, scoring once, and returned one kickoff for 16 yards. At 5-foot-9 and 218 pounds, Thomas Erlington is hardly the CFL's biggest tailback, but he can run, catch and, most importantly, block. Not only is he a complete player, he's also a ratio changer. 'I'll be honest. When the year started, I wasn't expecting to be the starter — not that I didn't think it was possible,' Thomas Erlington said. 'I was surprised, but very happy and excited. It was a big surprise. I wasn't expecting that at all.' Soft-spoken and reflective, Thomas Erlington said the end of his parents' marriage when he was 16 profoundly changed his life. It took years for him to recover from the shock. He said it affected him emotionally in school and with his friends. He hasn't cut his hair since 2019; his famous dreadlocks grown in homage to his Jamaican father, Clifford Erlington, although it's his mother, Dominique Thomas, who attends games more regularly. And as quickly as Fletcher's Als career ended, Thomas Erlington realizes his status could change just as abruptly. 'I definitely know it's a position that's hard to keep,' he said. 'The age I'm at ... not being an American ... you could say I count my blessings. I know, from one week to another, it could change. They could decide next week (to make a roster change) and move on from me. A lot can change and I don't take anything for granted.'


Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
Summer McIntosh, Katie Ledecky set for world swimming showdown in 800-metre freestyle
Published Aug 01, 2025 • 2 minute read Canadian swimmer Summer Mcintosh competes in a heat of the women's 800m freestyle swimming event during the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. Getty Images Summer McIntosh geared up for a swimming duel with American star Katie Ledecky, while Blake Tierney fell agonizingly short of the podium Friday at the world championship. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account McIntosh races for a fourth straight gold in Singapore in Saturday's 800-metre freestyle. It could be the Canadian's toughest challenge yet as McIntosh needs to beat reigning Olympic champion and world-record holder Ledecky for another gold. McIntosh posted the third-fastest time in Friday's heats at eight minutes 19.88 seconds behind Ledecky (8:14.62) and Lanni Pallister of Australia (8:17.06). McIntosh and Ledecky will race in lanes beside each other in the final scheduled for 8:17 a.m. ET. 'Any time I get to race Katie, whether it's in the 800, which I haven't done in a while or the 400 or any event really, any time we get a matchup it's lots of fun,' McIntosh said. 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