World No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland advanced to the National Bank Open quarterfinals by beating No. 14 seed Karolina Muchova of Czechia 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in a match that was twice interrupted by lengthy rain delays on Thursday.
The match, which took two hours 47 minutes in gameplay, was delayed six hours 10 minutes in total due to the weather around IGA Stadium.
It was the first meeting between the two opponents since this year’s French Open final, which Swiatek — the No. 1 for 71 weeks running — won in three sets.
Up 1-0 and a break in the third set when play finally resumed, Swiatek held serve the rest of the way to win the match.
Muchova had a double break opportunity down 2-1, but Swiatek held it off with two consecutive aces before winning the game and maintaining the advantage.
Swiatek and Muchova were tied at one set apiece when play was initially delayed for three hours 20 minutes.
After Swiatek cruised through the first set, Muchova responded in the second to force a third.
Swiatek then had just enough time to go up a break in the final frame before the match was suspended again eight minutes later, this time for two hours 50 minutes.
Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., who won an epic match over No. 11 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia on Wednesday, was scheduled to face American Danielle Collins after Swiatek-Muchova on Thursday night.
The winner of the match will take on Swiatek in the next round.
Fernandez is the lone Canadian remaining in the women's tournament.
No. 10 Daria Kasatkina beat Marie Bouzkova 6-3, 6-4 to advance. She’ll face the winner of a match between No. 3 Elena Rybakyna and Sloane Stephens in the quarters.
Earlier Thursday, Jessica Pegula of the United States advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Italy's Jasmine Paolini.
Pegula, the fourth seed in Montreal, had six aces to one double-fault and broke Paolini five times on 11 chances to cruise to victory in just one hour nine minutes.
The American is looking for her first NBO Open title after reaching the semifinals at the last two tournaments.
Pegula will next face the winner of a match between sixth seed Coco Gauff of the United States and ninth seed Marketa Vondrousova of Czechia.
The late game between No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 15 Liudmila Samsonova was removed from Thursday's schedule.
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