Japan’s Naomi Osaka is moving on to the National Bank Open’s fourth round after a 6-2, 6-4 win over 22nd-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia on Friday.
Osaka, a former world No. 1, hit five aces and converted six of nine breakpoint opportunities, taking the match in 72 minutes on IGA Stadium’s centre court.
She will face the winner of a third-round match between two-time defending champion Jessica Pegula of the United States and Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia at the WTA 1000 tournament.
In other daytime results, 16th-seeded Clara Tauson of Denmark rolled to a 6-3, 6-0 third-round victory against Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva.
Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek, the tournament’s second seed, headlined the night session. She was scheduled to face Eva Lys of Germany in third-round action.
Victoria Mboko is the only Canadian — singles or doubles — remaining in Montreal. The 18-year-old rising star from Toronto is set for a marquee fourth-round matchup Saturday against top seed Coco Gauff of the United States.
Mboko rallied from down a set to defeat Czech Marie Bouzkova 1-6, 6-3, 6-0 on Thursday.
This year’s National Bank Open debuted a revamped 12-day, 96-player format, with the top 32 seeds receiving byes to the second round. The tournament’s final is scheduled for Thursday.
Fokina advances in Toronto
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain reached the round of 16 at the National Bank Open in Toronto with a straight-sets victory over Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic.
It was an upset of sorts as the 20th-seeded Davidovich Fokina ousted 12th seed Mensik 6-2, 6-4 to advance to the fourth round.
Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo is the lone Canadian remaining in men’s singles at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
He faces second seed Taylor Fritz of the United States in a later centre-court match.
Wild cards Nicolas Arsenault of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Vancouver’s Justin Boulais face Sander Arends of the Netherlands and Argentina’s Guido Andreozzi in a men’s doubles first-round match scheduled for the afternoon.
A win by Arsenault and Boulais would set up an all-Canadian matchup with Leon Draxl of Newmarket, Ont., and Calgary’s Cleeve Harper. The wild-card duo knocked off seventh-seeded Americans Evan King and Christian Harrison in the opening round.
