While others were recovering from an incredible two weeks of tennis at the US Open, WTA players in Quebec City were back to work.
On the opening day of action of the Coupe Banque Nationale, there was one big upset. 2014 Wimbledon Girls’ Singles champion Jelena Ostapenko defeated third seed Mona Barthel in a titanic three-set battle, where Ostapenko would go on to win 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-4. Lucky loser Naomi Broady made the most out of her spot in the main draw, defeated Russian Alla Kudryavtseva 6-3, 7-6(4).
American rising star Louisa Chirico rebounded from a round one loss at her home slam to defeat her compatriot Julia Boserup, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1. The only Canadian to play on the singles’ side on day one was Toronto, Ontario’s Sharon Fichman. It wasn’t an easy day at the office for the home favourite as she lost to fifth seed Annika Beck 6-0, 6-1. Other winners on day one included Sesil Karatantcheva, Andrea Hlavackova and Tamira Paszek who is another player trying to come back from a long injury layoff.
Doubles Action
On the doubles’ side, sisters and number one seeds Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok got off to a winning start, defeating the American team of Samantha Crawford and Sachia Vickery in straight sets. Barbara Krejcikova and An-Sophie Mestach dashed Canadian hopes with a straight sets win over youngsters Malika Auger-Aliassime and Charlotte Petrick. Defending champions Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and Lucie Hradecka teamed up to defend their title in Quebec City. Lucic-Baroni and Hradecka continued their winning ways as a team, defeating fourth seeds Asia Muhammad and Maria Sanchez at the lost of just four games.
Headlining day two at the Coupe Banque Nationale is seeds Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, Lucie Hradecka, Tatjana Maria, Evgeniya Rodina and An-Sophie Mestach, Canadian Françoise Abanda in the singles and Carol Zhao and Sharon Fichman in the doubles.