National Bank Open: What to Watch, Schedule for Wednesday

Still got a little whiplash from Tuesday’s shocks? Know you’re not alone.

In a battle of former National Bank Open champions, Camila Giorgi played some stunning tennis to leave both Bianca Andreescu and the centre court crowd in Montreal dumbfounded. The Italian hit 21 winners in the 6-3, 6-2 victory and never allowed the Canadian to find any kind of rhythm.

If that wasn’t enough of a downer for the home fans, Felix Auger-Aliassime was dismissed by Australian Max Purcell on his birthday, 6-4, 6-4. The Montreal native, now 2-7 in his last nine matches, is still trying to pick up the pieces in what has been an abysmal 2023 season.

Fortunately, Montreal’s Leylah Annie Fernandez and Gabriel Diallo provided something to cheer about for the Canadian crowds. Fernandez exacted a measure of revenge with a routine 6-3, 6-2 victory over American Peyton Stearns, who defeated her just a couple of months ago.

Diallo upset Great Britain’s Dan Evans 7-6 (4), 7-5 in Toronto for his first tour-level win. Evans had just climbed to a career-best 21st in the ATP rankings after winning the title in Washington last week.

The 21-year-old Diallo was ranked 679th in the world just a year ago and now moves up to 133rd with the win. At six-foot-eight, Diallo possesses a powerful serve but is also quite mobile for his height.

Who knows what we can expect on Wednesday but here’s the best of what’s in store:

Women's: 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT on SN NOW; 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT on Sportsnet ONE and SN NOW; 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on Sportsnet 360 and SN NOW.

Men's: 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT on SN NOW; 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT on Sportsnet and SN NOW; 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on Sportsnet ONE and SN NOW

With Andreescu and Auger-Aliassime out, we’re left with three Canadians in the singles draws. Fernandez faces a tricky task against last year’s runner-up Beatriz Haddad Maia but seemed to thrive off the energy of the home fans on Tuesday.

The Brazilian defeated Fernandez in the second round of last year’s tournament and now ranks 12th on the WTA circuit. It should be an enticing battle between two lefties.

On the men's side, all eyes will be on Milos Raonic after he upset world No. 10 Frances Tiafoe on Monday. Raonic will have a theoretically easier clash going up against Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel but considering his extended absence from the tour, match fitness is sure to be a factor. Fingers crossed his body can hold up because, as we saw Monday, the game is there.

Diallo will also be back in action and he will need his power game to full effect against the speedy Alex de Minaur, who ranks 18th in the world.

In women’s doubles, Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe will play Latisha Chan and Yang Zhaoxuan in the third round. All-Canadian pair Carol Zhao and Marina Stakusic play Zhu Lin and Marie Bouzkova in the second round.

World No. 1, Wimbledon champion, and defending U.S. Open champion Carlos Alcaraz will begin his tournament against exciting American Ben Shelton.

Alcaraz already had centre court buzzing for a practice session so it should be quite an electric atmosphere during Wednesday's evening opener. The Spanish sensation has a game that’s as exciting as they come and a personality to match.

Don’t sneeze at Shelton, though. While Alcaraz will certainly be the clear favourite, Shelton is a thrilling left-hander and his bruising style could make for a very entertaining battle.

IGA Stadium is the name of Montreal’s centre court. Iga Swiatek is the world No. 1. Surely, it’s a match made in heaven.

Despite being the standout player on the women’s tour over the last three years, though, Swiatek has yet to break through in Canada. Her best effort to this point is the third round, losing to Naomi Osaka in 2019 and last year to eventual finalist Haddad Maia. She didn’t participate in 2021.

With WTA No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 3 Elena Rybakina both in the other half of the draw, Swiatek will be heavily favoured to reach her first final in Canada.

Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner are two of Italy’s finest on the men’s side.

Sinner is fresh off a semifinal appearance at Wimbledon while Berrettini is looking to get his career back on track after absences due to both injury and sickness. He has been as high as No. 6 in the world and became the first Italian man to reach the quarterfinals of all four majors, including a Wimbledon final in 2021.

Those accomplishments show that Berrettini is a better player than his current ATP ranking of 38 suggests. Going up against someone like Sinner, who is considered to be Alcaraz’s biggest challenger for years to come, is an early-tournament gift for tennis fans.

12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT Liudmila Samsonova (WTA No. 18) vs. Qinwen Zheng (WTA No. 24)
1:45 p.m. ET / 10:45 a.m. PT: Stefanos Tsitsipas (ATP No. 4) vs. Gael Monfils (ATP No. 276)
4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT: Andy Murray (ATP No. 40) vs. Max Purcell (ATP No. 78)
4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT: Marketa Vondrousova (WTA No. 10) vs. Caroline Wozniacki (N/A)
8:15 p.m. ET / 5:15 p.m. PT: Petra Kvitova (WTA No. 9) vs. Camila Giorgi (WTA No. 51)

Match times are tentative and subject to change.

Court Central
12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT: [1] Iga Swiatek (POL) vs Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 
To Finish: [3] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) vs. Jennifer Brady (USA), Tied 6-6
[11] Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) vs [WC] Leylah Fernandez (CAN) 
7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT: Petra Martic (CRO) vs [2] Aryna Sabalenka (BEL)
[7] Petra Kvitova (CZE) vs [Q] Camila Giorgi (ITA)

Court Rogers
11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT: [Q] Katie Boulter (GBR) vs [6] Coco Gauff (USA) 
[4] Jessica Pegula (USA) vs [LL] Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 
Not before 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT: [9] Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) vs [WC] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 
Not before 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT: [Q] Danielle Collins (USA) vs [8] Maria Sakkari (GRE) 
G. Dabrowski (CAN) / E. Routliffe (NZL) vs L. Chan (TPE) / Z. Yang (CHN) 

Court 9
11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT: [Q] Alycia Parks (USA) vs [12] Belinda Bencic (SUI) 
Anna Blinkova (RUS) vs [10] Daria Kasatkina (Russia)
M. Sherif (EGY) / S. Stephens (USA) vs L. Siegemund (GER) / V. Zvonareva 
[ALT] M. Linette (POL) / B. Pera (USA) vs N. Kichenok (UKR) / A. Parks (USA) 
M. Bouzkova (CZE) / L. Zhu (CHN) vs [WC] M. Stakusic (CAN) / C. Zhao (CAN) 

Court 5
12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT: [15] Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) vs Qinwen Zheng (CHN) 
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) vs [14] Karolina Muchova (CZE) 
U. Eikeri (NOR) / I. Neel (EST) vs [3] K. Siniakova (CZE) / L. Stefani (BRA) 
[5] D. Krawczyk (USA) / D. Schuurs (NED) vs K. Muchova (CZE) / M. Vondrousova (CZE) 

Centre Court
12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT: [Q] Taro Daniel (JPN) vs [WC] Milos Raonic (CAN)
[4] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) vs [PR] Gael Monfils (FRA)
7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT: [1] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs Ben Shelton (USA)
[Q] Marcos Giron (USA) vs [5] Holger Rune (DEN)

Grandstand
11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT: [8] Taylor Fritz (USA) vs Ugo Humbert (FRA)
[Q] Matteo Arnaldi (ITA) vs [2] Daniil Medvedev (RUS)
[13] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP)
Matteo Berrettini (ITA) vs [7] Jannik Sinner (ITA)
[12] Tommy Paul (USA) vs Francisco Cerundolo (ARG)

Court 1
11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT: [6] Andrey Rublev (RUS) vs Mackenzie McDonald (USA)
Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) vs [15] Hubert Hurkacz (POL)
[WC] Gabriel Diallo (CAN) vs Alex de Minaur (AUS)
Not before 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT: [Q] Max Purcell (AUS) vs Andy Murray (GBR)
Sebastian Korda (USA) vs [LL] Aleksander Vukic (AUS)

Court 4
M. Melo (BRA) / J. Peers (AUS) vs S. Gille (BEL) / J. Vliegen (BEL)
[16] Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) vs [Q] Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS)
Not before 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT: [8] S. Gonzalez (MEX) / E. Roger-Vasselin (FRA) vs T. Griekspoor (NED) / J. Lehecka (CZE)
Not before 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT: M. Arevalo (ESA) / J. Rojer (NED) vs [2] I. Dodig (CRO) / A. Krajicek (USA)

Court 3
1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT: [7] M. Granollers (ESP) / H. Zeballos (ARG) vs F. Martin (FRA) / A. Mies (GER)
Not before 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT: [1] W. Koolhof (NED) / N. Skupski (GBR) vs H. Hurkacz (POL) / M. Pavic (CRO)