Britain's Cameron Norrie saw his run at the National Bank Open come to an abrupt halt in the round of 16, bowing out after a 6-2, 7-6 (10-8) loss to France's rising star Arthur Fils on the hard courts of Montreal. The 18th seed from France made a strong impression from the outset, leveraging a thunderous serve and aggressive baseline play to dominate the first set, cruising to a comfortable 6-2 victory without encountering significant resistance. In the second set, Norrie attempted to raise his level, matching Fils' power and depth with his own heavy groundstrokes.
The contest tightened dramatically, forcing a tiebreak that saw both players exchange mini‑breaks and save multiple set points. Despite carving out two opportunities to close out the set, Norrie could not convert at the crucial moments, and Fils ultimately clinched the tiebreak 10-8, sealing the match after a total of one hour and forty‑three minutes of play.
Norrie's journey to this stage had been noteworthy. In the previous round he produced a stunning comeback against the third‑seeded Australian Alex de Minaur. After trailing 5-7, 6-7 (5-7), Norrie turned the tide by winning eleven of the next thirteen games, eventually prevailing 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.
That victory not only propelled him into the last‑16 but also elevated him back to the position of British No. 1, overtaking Arthur Fery. However, the momentum from that dramatic win proved insufficient against the hungry French teenager.
With his win, Arthur Fils now advances to the quarter‑finals where he will meet Spain's Rafael Jodar, who himself upset the eighth seed Jiri Lehecka in straight sets earlier in the day. The tournament continues to produce surprising results, as evidenced by the performances of other competitors.
American youngster Brandon Nakashima and Italy's Luciano Darderi both survived grueling three‑set battles, defeating Arthur Rinderknech and Portugal's Nuno Borges respectively, to secure places in the next round. In parallel news from the women's draw, world No.
1 Aryna Sabalenka suffered a surprising setback in her preparation for the US Open. The Belarusian, a four‑time Grand Slam champion and reigning US Open titleholder, was edged out in the fourth round of the Canadian Open in Toronto by Russia's 16th‑seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova. Alexandrova claimed a hard‑fought 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-4 victory after nearly two and a half hours of intense rallying.
Sabalenka started the match strongly, breaking early in the first set, but Alexandrova responded with resilient play, forcing a tiebreak that she won convincingly. The second set saw Sabalenka dig deep, breaking at 3-3 and serving out the set to level the match. The decisive third set turned into a battle of nerves, with Sabalenka's unforced error count rising as the pressure mounted.
At 4-5, Sabalenka saved two match points, yet a double fault on the third point handed the win to Alexandrova. After the match, Alexandrova explained her mindset, saying she treated every point as if it were the last, refusing to dwell on the score and simply focusing on hitting the ball. She expressed surprise at her own resilience, noting that after losing the second set she believed her chances were gone, yet she managed to turn the tide.
Alexandrova's triumph sets up a semi‑final clash with Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, who advanced after a straight‑sets win over American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova, 6-2, 6-4. The women's draw now promises a compelling showdown between the aggressive Russian and the experienced Ukrainian. For fans seeking to follow the action, the ATP and WTA tours, as well as the upcoming US Open, will be broadcast live from August 30 on Sky Sports. Subscribers can also stream the coverage via the NOW platform or the Sky Sports app, which offers more than 50% additional live sport content at no extra charge.
Additional resources such as match highlights, video replays, and detailed statistics are available through the Sky Sports app, ensuring viewers can stay up to date with every twist and turn of the tournament.