British No.2 Cameron Norrie added another comfortable win to his résumé at the National Bank Open in Montreal, paving the way for a third‑round clash with Alex De Minaur, the husband of Katie Boulter. After ending a six‑match losing streak that had haunted him through the Los Cabos semi‑finals the week before, Norrie opened his Canadian campaign with a straight‑sets victory over Argentina's Camilo Ugo Carabelli and then turned his attention to Peru's Ignacio Buse. The 30‑year‑old, who sits four places below the world No.33 Buse in the rankings, dispatched his opponent with a tidy 6‑3 6‑3 scoreline in just 89 minutes.
Norrie demonstrated his veteran poise by saving three of the four break points he faced and converting four of his eleven chances on serve. His performance was a textbook example of how experience can dominate a younger, less seasoned adversary. Analyst Annabel Croft, speaking on Sky Sports Tennis, praised Norrie's composure: "He was simply too experienced, too much game for his opponent. He applied pressure at the right moments and defended with depth and precision.
We also saw him stepping forward, asking a lot of questions, and testing his opponent's resolve. His serve dipped a little in the second set, but he quickly found his rhythm again." In the same session, Brazilian teenager João Fonseca made a statement in his first tour‑level match since Wimbledon. The 19‑year‑old overcame former finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas with a 7‑6 (7‑3) 7‑5 win, showing that his recent weeks away from competition had not dulled his edge. "I think João from last year would have lost his mind," Fonseca said in a post‑match interview.
"I'm a more mature João now. After a couple of weeks off, I knew I would be a bit tense serving for the match, but I felt good, hit solid returns and put the pressure on him. That break at 5‑5 was crucial." Fonseca reflected on his rapid development, noting that playing against the sport's elite—Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton and Novak Djokovic—has accelerated his mental growth.
"These experiences have shown me that mental strength is one of my biggest weapons. Being confident in tight moments is something I've learned over the past two years," he added.
The tournament saw several other upsets. After No.2 seed Felix Auger‑Aliassime withdrew, top seed and Wimbledon finalist Alexander Zverev was stunned by Tallon Griekspoor, who won 6‑7 (3‑7) 6‑2 6‑4.
Griekspoor, speaking after his victory, said, "I've been working harder and harder lately and have reached a good level in practice over the past few weeks. It felt like only a matter of time before I could pull off a win like this, especially against a player of Sascha's caliber." Dutch compatriot Botic van de Zandschulp also produced a headline‑making performance, beating Daniil Medvedev 6‑3 7‑6 (7‑5) in the Russian's first ATP Tour match since his third‑round exit at Wimbledon.
Van de Zandschulp explained, "I had never beaten Medvedev before, but today I forced myself out of my comfort zone and it paid off." British No.5 Jacob Fearnley, who entered the main draw after qualifying, saw his run end in the second round, falling 6‑3 3‑6 6‑3 to world No.17 Jakub Mensik. Meanwhile, home favourite Ben Shelton looked poised to defend his title after a 6‑3 7‑5 win over Jenson Brooksby. Shelton took the first set comfortably, but Brooksby rallied to lead 4‑1 in the second.
Shelton responded by raising his level, breaking twice to clinch the set and avoid a deciding third set. He will now meet 31st seed Zizou Bergs of Belgium in the round of 32. Casper Ruud, sporting a fresh haircut, dominated Juan Manuel Cerún dolo 6‑1 6‑2, signaling that his form is returning after a brief slump. In another surprise, Thiago Agustín Tirante upset Taylor Fritz 7‑5 6‑3, exploiting Fritz's lingering fatigue after his recent ATP 500 title in Washington.
On the women's side, Coco Gauff recorded her first win since Wimbledon by beating Kayla Day 6‑2 7‑5 in Toronto. Gauff joked after the match, "I saw the new Spider‑Man film.
I was going to make a big spoiler joke but decided not to." Elena Rybakina kicked off her campaign with a gritty three‑set victory over Daria Kasatkina, winning 6‑3 5‑7 6‑4 despite a chaotic serving display that produced 58 aces alongside 58 unforced errors, including 16 double faults. Rybakina will next face Ann Li, who dispatched Canada's Kayla Cross 7‑6 (7‑2) 6‑3. Overall, the National Bank Open has turned into a wide‑open field after the early exit of several top seeds.
The mix of seasoned veterans like Norrie and rising stars such as Fonseca and Griekspoor promises an exciting second week of tennis, with plenty of opportunities for new faces to make deep runs. Fans can continue to follow the action live on Sky Sports, the Sky Sports app, or via NOW streaming, which offers additional live sport coverage at no extra cost for Sky customers.