Swiatek Dominates, Osaka Shows Grit at Canadian Open in Montrea

The WTA Canadian Open in Montreal brought contrasting victories for two of tennis’s biggest names on Wednesday. Iga Swiatek, the reigning Wimbledon champion, displayed sheer dominance, while Naomi Osaka delivered a dramatic comeback to keep her tournament hopes alive.

Swiatek’s Smooth Progression

Playing her first match since lifting the Wimbledon title, Swiatek cruised past Chinese qualifier Guo Hanyu with a clinical 6-3, 6-1 win. The Polish star broke serve six times, showing no signs of rust and continuing the form that earned her a second Grand Slam title this season.

Her comfortable win underlined her status as one of the favorites for the Canadian Open crown.

Osaka Fights Back from the Brink

Earlier in the day, Naomi Osaka overcame Liudmila Samsonova in a gritty three-set battle, saving two match points and recovering from a set down to win 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-3. It was a significant victory for Osaka, marking her first win over a top-20 opponent since January.

Osaka, now working with coach Tomasz Wiktorowski after parting ways with Patrick Mouratoglou, dug deep after trailing 5-2 in the second-set tiebreaker. Samsonova had the match on her racquet at 5-4 in the second set but faltered with a forehand error and a misjudged drop shot.

Capitalizing on her opponent’s mistakes, Osaka broke twice in the final set to take a commanding 4-1 lead and ultimately sealed the win.

“I was overwhelmed at first,” Osaka admitted post-match. “But eventually, I focused on keeping the ball in play.”

The Japanese star, who ended a four-match losing streak in three-set encounters, now faces Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko in the next round.

Other Notable Matches

Elsewhere, Madison Keys, the sixth seed and Australian Open champion, breezed past Laura Siegemund 6-2, 6-1. The victory served as revenge for Keys, who was eliminated by Siegemund in the third round at Wimbledon.