Britain’s Cameron Norrie saw his run at the National Bank Open come to an abrupt end in the round of 16, bowing out to France’s rising star Arthur Fils with a 6-2, 7-6 (10-8) scoreline in Montreal. The Frenchman, seeded 18th, started the match in commanding fashion, leveraging his big serve to clinch 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 tie‑break. Despite carving out two set‑point chances, Norrie was unable to capitalise when it mattered most, and Fils ultimately sealed the victory after a total of one hour and forty‑three minutes of play. Norrie’s journey to this stage had been impressive.
In the previous round he produced a stunning upset over the third‑seeded Alex de Minaur, overturning a match‑point deficit to dominate the final 13 games, winning 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, displacing Arthur Fery. Yet the momentum from that dramatic win proved insufficient against the hungry French teenager.
Following his win, Fils will meet Spain’s Rafael Jodar in the quarter‑finals. Jodar earned his place by upsetting the eighth‑seed Jiri Lehecka in straight sets, setting up an intriguing clash between the two young competitors. Elsewhere in the tournament, American Brandon Nakashima and Italy’s Luciano Darderi also advanced, each surviving grueling three‑set battles against 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 Belarusian, a four‑time Grand Slam champion and reigning US Open title‑holder, was beaten 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. The match stretched close to two and a half hours, with Alexandrova ultimately securing a spot in the quarter‑finals.
Sabalenka started strongly, breaking early in the first set, but Alexandrova rallied to force a tie‑break, which she claimed to take 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. In the deciding set, Alexandrova’s aggressive shot‑making and composure under pressure proved decisive.
Sabalenka’s error count rose as the set progressed, and despite saving two match points at 4-5 on serve, a double fault on the third point handed the victory to Alexandrova. After the match, Alexandrova explained her mindset, saying, “I just tried to play every single point as if it was the last one because with her, you don’t get a lot of chances during the match.” She added, “Honestly, I was trying not to think about the score or anything.
Just hit the ball, and that’s it. I’m super happy that I could win because after the second set, I thought the chance was already past me.” Alexandrova’s next opponent will be Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who earned her semi‑final berth by defeating the American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-4.
The upcoming quarter‑final promises another high‑quality encounter as both players look to continue their impressive runs. Overall, the National Bank Open has delivered a mix of expected outcomes and surprising upsets. Norrie’s early exit underscores the depth of talent on the ATP Tour, while Sabalenka’s loss highlights the volatility that can arise even for top‑ranked players in the lead‑up to a Grand Slam.
Fans can continue to follow the action through live broadcasts on Sky Sports, the NOW streaming platform, or the Sky Sports app, ensuring that the drama of both the ATP and WTA tours remains accessible as the tournament progresses toward its climax.