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 previous week, Norrie opened his Canadian campaign with a straight‑sets victory over Camilo Ugo Carabelli and then turned his attention to Peru's Ignacio Buse. Despite being ranked four places higher than the world No. 33 Peruvian, Norrie dispatched Buse with a tidy 6‑3, 6‑3 scoreline in just 89 minutes. He saved three of the four break points he faced and converted four of his eleven opportunities on serve, demonstrating the composure that has become a hallmark of his game.
Sky Sports analyst Annabel Croft praised Norrie's performance on the network’s tennis show, noting, "Norrie was too experienced, too much game for his opponent. He applied the pressure when he needed to and defended extremely well with depth. We also saw him coming forward a lot, asking a lot of questions.
His serve went a little off in the second set but he got it back on track." The British veteran’s ability to adjust mid‑match and maintain a high level of defensive depth helped him neutralise Buse’s aggressive baseline play, while his own serve, though momentarily erratic, regained its rhythm to close out the match efficiently. In another headline‑grabbing moment, 19‑year‑old Brazilian João Fonseca made a stylish return to the tour after a brief hiatus, overcoming former finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas 7‑6 (7‑3), 7‑5 in his first match since Wimbledon. Fonseca reflected on his growth, saying, "I think João from last year would've lost his mind. I'm a more mature João now.
It's been a couple of weeks without playing, so I knew, serving for the match, I would be a little bit more tense. I felt good, played some good returns, and then put the pressure on him. I think I needed that break at 5‑5." He added that competing against top players such as Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton and Novak Djokovic over the past two years has sharpened his mental resilience, which he now regards as one of his biggest weapons. The tournament also delivered a shock early exit for the top seed and Wimbledon finalist Alexander Zverev, who fell to Tallon Griekspoor 6‑7 (3‑7), 6‑2, 6‑4 after No.
2 seed Felix Auger‑Aliassime withdrew. Griekspoor, buoyed by recent hard‑work in practice, said, "I've been working harder and harder lately and I've reached quite a good level in practice over the past couple of weeks. I felt like it was just a matter of time. This one is special, especially against a player like Sascha." His Dutch compatriot Botic van de Zandschulp also produced an upset, beating Daniil Medvedev 6‑3, 7‑6 (7‑5) in the Russian's first ATP Tour match since his third‑round loss at Wimbledon.
Van de Zandschulp explained, "I have never beaten him before, but today I had to change it up, go out of my comfort zone, and I think I did it well." British No. 5 Jacob Fearnley, who entered the main draw via qualifying, was eliminated in the second round by world No. 17 Jakub Mensik, losing 6‑3, 3‑6, 6‑3. Meanwhile, home favourite Ben Shelton continued his title defence with 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 before the American raised his level, breaking twice to seal the set and avoid a deciding third set. Shelton’s next opponent will be 31st seed Zizou Bergs of Belgium. Casper Ruud, sporting a fresh haircut, displayed his power by crushing Juan Manuel Cerúnldo 6‑1, 6‑2, while Dutch teenager Thiago Agustin Tirante stunned Taylor Fritz with a 7‑5, 6‑3 victory.
Fritz, who had just lifted his biggest title in nearly four years at the ATP 500 event in Washington, appeared physically taxed and could not replicate his earlier form. On the women’s side, American star Coco Gauff recorded her first win since Wimbledon, defeating Kayla Day 6‑2, 7‑5 in Toronto. After the match she joked, "I saw the new Spider‑Man film. I was going to do a joke and say a big spoiler but I'm not going to do that." Elena Rybakina also began her campaign strongly, beating Daria Kasatkina 6‑3, 5‑7, 6‑4 despite a chaotic serving display that saw her fire 58 winners alongside 58 unforced errors, including 16 double faults.
Rybakina will next meet Ann Li, who advanced by overcoming Canada’s Kayla Cross 7‑6 (7‑2), 6‑3. The National Bank Open continues to produce a blend of expected victories and surprising upsets, leaving the draw wide open as the tournament moves deeper into the week.
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