Canada's Fernandez looks to carry momentum at National Bank Open

Wednesday night in Toronto saw American Jessica Pegula, the 2023 National Bank Open champ and third seed in this year’s tournament, open her title defence defeating Karolína Plíšková in straight sets in the Round of 32.

Thursday afternoon in Montreal will see another champ hit the court to begin his own quest for a repeat win.

Here’s what to watch for at the National Bank Open on Thursday, including Canadian women in action.

Sinner starts title defence

Last August, Jannik Sinner landed in Toronto searching for his first career ATP 1000 title. One year later, he not only enters the National Bank Open bracket as the defending champion and tournament top seed but also as a Davis Cup champ, Grand Slam winner after claiming the crown at the Australian Open, and the top-ranked player on the ATP Tour. That his hot streak has included two victories over Novak Djokovic has made the Italian’s string of success that much more impressive.

He sat out the Olympic Games due to illness and now looks to pick up his streak again in Montreal. He’ll take on qualifier Borna Coric of Croatia in a matinee match.

Other top-seeded players taking to the hard courts Thursday in Montreal include 2021 NBO champ Daniil Medvedev, who takes on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain in the first Centre Court session of the day, 2022 champ Pablo Carreño Busta (unseeded) against Holger Rune, and 2022 runner-up Hubert Hurkacz (fourth seed), who’ll face Thanasi Kokkinakis under the lights.

Can Fernandez carry momentum to more success at home?

Wednesday brought a wave of disappointing results for Canadian men in Montreal, with Felix Auger-Aliassime, Vasek Pospisil (injured), and Denis Shapovalov all bowing out in the Round of 64. With Gabriel Diallo’s tournament-opening loss Tuesday and Milos Raonic’s decision to pull out due to injury, no more Canadian men remain in singles competition at home.

But over on the women’s side in Toronto, two competitors are keeping Canada’s hopes for a title on home court alive.

Canada’s Leylah Fernandez said she “didn’t play too well” in her opening-round match against Japan’s Nao Hibino Wednesday night, but her 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 victory was enough to see her advance despite a few hurdles.

Hibino was a late addition to Wednesday’s lineup — the 29-year-old lost in the qualifiers but found her way to the first round anyway after Fernandez’s initial opponent, Zhang Shuai, withdrew from the match due to illness.

Fernandez, 21, acknowledged post-match that the late change threw her off — understandable, when you’ve spent the better part of the last 48 hours analyzing someone else’s film — but she’ll now turn her attention to a new challenge. The Canuck and tournament 15-seed, who has now advanced to the second round of the NBO for the third straight year, is set to face American Ashlyn Krueger on Thursday. Momentum sides with Fernandez following her strong Olympic showing and Krueger’s recent struggles. The two have met once before, with Fernandez taking the match in straight sets.

It's shaping up to be a busy tournament for both Fernandez and Krueger already — and the two will be well acquainted by day’s end. The singles opponents are expected to meet twice on Thursday, with a Round of 16 doubles match set for later in the day (after suitable rest). Fernandez is competing in women’s doubles alongside her younger sister, Bianca. The duo defeated Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani in straight sets on Tuesday. Krueger teams up with fellow American Catherine Harrison.

Fernandez, though, isn’t the lone Canuck remaining in the competition …

Canada’s Stakusic looks to build off career first

Wednesday afternoon brought a major career milestone for 19-year-old Canadian Marina Stakusic, who earned a comeback victory in her National Bank Open main draw debut. After losing her first set to Russia's Erika Andreeva 6-7 (5), she bounced back to win the next by a wide margin — 6-1 — before claiming the match in the third and deciding set, 6-4. The win marked her first victory at a WTA 1000-level event.

“I just tried to keep telling myself to keep fighting, to keep trying for every single point,” Stakusic, who hails from Mississauga, Ont., said post-match, also expressing her gratitude to the home crowd cheering her on. “I’m at home, so I want to try to make the most of it.”

Stakusic played through what appeared to be a right leg issue, receiving medical attention mid-match — a factor to watch on Thursday when she hits the court again. Asked about her leg following the victory, Stakusic indicated she’d need plenty of rest and recovery to be ready for her next bout, an afternoon meeting with American Taylor Townsend on the Grandstand court.

While much attention will be focused on the Canadian women hitting the courts Thursday, there are plenty of other intriguing matchups including some of the tournament’s top-seeded women in action. Tournament No. 1 seed and No. 5 on the WTA Tour, Coco Gauff, kicks off action at Centre Court against Wang Yafan of China after enjoying a first-round bye. Second seed and WTA Tour No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka (vs. Yue Yuan) gets primetime billing under the Centre Court lights Thursday night, followed by former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka (vs. Elise Mertens).