Sevastova ends Pegula’s reign in Montreal with comeback win
Jessica Pegula’s three-peat bid on the Canadian Open ended Friday in Montreal.
Thirty-five-year-old Anastasija Sevastova threw down a surprising 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over the No. 3 seed and two-time defending champion on the Omnium Banque Nationale.
No. 386 within the PIF WTA Rankings, Sevastova was granted entry into the primary draw with a protected rating after struggling a difficult knee harm. She’s the lowest-ranked participant to beat a Prime 10 participant since Angelique Kerber shocked Jelena Ostapenko greater than a 12 months in the past at Indian Wells.
What occurred, precisely?
“I don’t know,” Sevastova stated in her on-court interview. “One way or the other, I used to be down 2-0 within the second set and began to play higher and higher. Third set, I performed actually good.
“Simply making an attempt to remain on the courtroom so long as potential.”
The Latvian was taking part in solely her 24th WTA Tour-level match previously 4 years and had misplaced her final seven conferences towards Prime 5 opponents. It’s been seven years since she managed that feat, on the 2018 US Open, defeating Sloane Stephens in what stays her greatest Grand Slam singles consequence.
It’s additionally been 4 years since she’s received three matches in a row.
Sevastova can equal her greatest profession end in Canada with a win Sunday towards Naomi Osaka, a 6-2, 6-4 winner over Jelena Ostapenko. Osaka has received three matches right here, together with within the second-round when she saved two match factors towards Liudmila Samsonova. Sevastova reached the quarterfinals in 2018.
That is Sevastova’s first Spherical of 16 at a WTA 1000 since Madrid 2021.
In the meantime, No. 6 seed Madison took care of enterprise, coming again to defeat fellow American Caty McNally 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 in 2 hours and quarter-hour.
Keys is now 9-3 in Montreal and Sunday will play the winner of the later match between No. 11 seed Karolina Muchova and Belinda Bencic.
Keys transformed her third match level with an enormous forehand cross, breaking McNally for the fourth time.
“At present I did a great job of bouncing again after the primary set,” Keys stated. “Let go of the primary set and transfer on. Blissful I used to be in a position to try this.”
That ended a run of 12 consecutive match-wins for McNally, together with titles in Newport at WTA-125 stage and in Evansville in ITF. McNally is now 0-7 in her profession towards Prime 20 gamers.
Pegula performed a terrific first set, breaking Sevastova within the first and final video games of the body, whereas not going through a break level herself.
The second was extra difficult as Sevastova surged to a 4-2 lead. Pegula leveled it at 4-all, however Sevastova broke by once more for a 5-4 lead and, saving three break factors within the course of, served it out.
Contemplating her age and the character of her first two wins right here, Sevastova performed a outstanding third set. Victories over Ajla Tomljanovic and No. 25 seed Magda Linette required a draining three units.
Sevastova scored two service breaks towards Pegula to lock it up. She was higher within the huge moments, saving 9 of 13 break factors and changing six of 10.
After profitable the title in Unhealthy Homburg, Pegula has misplaced three of 4, together with early exits at Wimbledon, Washington, D.C. and Montreal. She completed with 63 unforced errors, her most in a match this season.