Britain's Cameron Norrie saw his run at the National Bank Open come to an abrupt end in the round of 16, bowing out after a 6-2, 7-6 (10-8) loss to France's rising star Arthur Fils in Montreal. The 18th seed from France started the encounter in commanding fashion, using his heavy serve to dictate play and close out the opening set with relative ease.
Norrie, however, found a second‑wind in the following set, matching Fils' power and pushing the contest into a tightly contested tiebreak. Despite carving out two opportunities to clinch the set, Norrie was unable to convert at the crucial moments, and Fils ultimately secured the victory after a match lasting one hour and forty‑three minutes.
Just a round earlier, Norrie had produced one of the tournament's most memorable upsets, eliminating third‑seed Alex de Minaur. Down match point, the British player turned the tide by winning eleven of the next thirteen games, prevailing 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1. That triumph not only propelled him into the last‑16 but also restored his position as Britain's No.1, overtaking Arthur Fery. Unfortunately, he could not replicate that momentum against Fils.
Following his win, Fils will meet Spain's Rafael Jodar in the quarter‑finals after the Spaniard dispatched eighth‑seed Jiri Lehecka in straight sets. Other notable performances in the same round included Brandon Nakashima and Luciano Darderi, both battling through three‑set duels to advance past Arthur Rinderknech and Nuno Borges respectively. In a separate headline, world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka suffered a surprising setback in her preparation for the US Open.
The four‑time Grand Slam champion and reigning US Open titleholder was edged out 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-4 by Russia's 16th‑seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova in the fourth round of the Canadian Open in Toronto. Alexandrova fought a grueling two‑and‑a‑half‑hour match to earn a place in the quarter‑finals.
Sabalenka started the first set strongly, breaking early before Alexandrova rallied to force a tiebreak, which the Russian claimed, taking a 7-6 lead. The Belarusian responded by taking control of the second set, breaking for a 4-3 advantage and eventually serving out to level the match at one set all. The decisive third set saw Alexandrova maintain her aggressive shot‑making, while Sabalenka's error count rose noticeably.
At 4-5, Sabalenka saved two match points, but a double fault on the third point handed the victory to Alexandrova. After the match, Alexandrova explained her mindset, saying she treated every point as if it were the last, acknowledging the limited chances she had against a player of Sabalenka's caliber.
She added that she tried not to think about the score, focusing solely on hitting the ball. "I'm super happy that I could win because after the second set, I thought the chance was already past me," she remarked. Alexandrova's next challenge will be against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, who secured her semi‑final berth by defeating American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-4.
Meanwhile, the ATP and WTA tours, along with the upcoming US Open, will continue to be broadcast live from August 30 on Sky Sports, with streaming options available via NOW and the Sky Sports app. Overall, the National Bank Open delivered a mixture of expected outcomes and startling upsets. Norrie's exit underscores the depth of talent on the ATP tour, where younger players like Fils can quickly overturn established names. Sabalenka's loss, on the other hand, serves as a reminder that even the most dominant champions can be vulnerable, especially when faced with a disciplined opponent capable of sustaining pressure throughout a three‑set battle.
Both matches will undoubtedly influence preparations and confidence levels as the players head toward the final Grand Slam of the season, the US Open, where the stakes will be even higher and every point will count.