The bottom half of the draw in the WTA 1000 National Bank Open in Montreal is really stacked, with most of the favorites still in the pack ahead of the promising Round of 16. There was one stunning upset in this section during Friday's Round of 32 matches, but 6 out of 8 top seeds in this half are about to deliver some great showdown matches on Sunday.

Sevastova shocks Pegula with comeback win

Anastasija Sevastova delivered a huge upset, defeating world number 4 Jessica Pegula 3-6 6-4 6-1. The 35-year-old Latvian, who is trying to come back into contention after pregnancy and several knee injuries, found her way into the main draw thanks to her secured ranking. She reached the Round of 32 after defeating two other experienced players – Alja Tomljanovic and Magda Linette – both in three sets. Sevastova was not a favorite in either match-up, but before her meeting with the tournament's third seed, she was rated as an underdog with odds of 6.01.

The match started as expected, with Pegula opening the scoreline with an early break and full control of the opening set, winning it 6-3 with two breaks. The trend continued in the second, with Pegula moving ahead 2-0. Nothing indicated a potential turnaround. However, Pegula began to play erratically, while Sevastova stayed composed and looked for her chances. The American completely dropped the level of her serve, losing 5 out of 7 service games after taking the early lead in the second set. The player known for her consistency was beaten by her own weapon, as Sevastova executed her game plan perfectly and never looked like losing control in the third set. This could have gone either way, as Pegula had three break points in the second game, but the Latvian made a crucial hold there and won the next five games with ease. Pegula looked completely diminished. The 63 officially tracked unforced errors were far from Pegula's usual standard.

Osaka advances past Ostapenko in solid showing

Naomi Osaka is enjoying her time in Montreal during the start of her trial collaboration with Polish coach Tomasz Wiktorowski. Osaka had survived a dramatic second-round showdown against Liudmila Samsonova, defending three match points and coming back from 4-6, 4-5, 0-40 to win in three sets. That set up an intriguing clash with Jelena Ostapenko on Friday.

The match was expected to be a hitting fest due to the gamestyles of both players, and it delivered high-level tennis, especially from Osaka. The match featured great swings, entertaining shots, and a solid performance from the former world number one, who hit 14 winners to just 13 unforced errors – a rarity this week in Montreal. Osaka exposed the lack of variety in Ostapenko's game and advanced with a comfortable 6-2 6-4 win. She will now face Sevastova in her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal since Doha last year.

Grand Slam Champions deliver on Friday

Friday was a successful day for Grand Slam champions, who mostly moved through to the Round of 16. Iga Swiatek, as expected, had no trouble in her match against Eva Lys. The Pole won 6-2 6-2 and defended 11 out of 12 pressure points. Swiatek seems to be back on track after Wimbledon, although she has yet to face a serious test in Canada this week.

Madison Keys had a more difficult path, mounting a comeback after a poor opening set against Caty McNally. Keys won 2-6 6-3 6-3 against her compatriot, who was in great form. McNally, the only player to take a set off Swiatek during the Pole's Australian Open title run, came into the match on a 12-match winning streak. She dominated the opening set, but Keys elevated her serving in the second and third sets, compensating for errors with a barrage of winners.

Anisimova destroys Raducanu in statement win

Emma Raducanu failed to join Osaka, Swiatek, and Keys in the Round of 16, suffering a lopsided defeat to Amanda Anisimova. The outcome was surprising, given Raducanu's rising form. However, the current Wimbledon runner-up produced a statement performance, proving that her heavy loss in the London final had no lingering effects. Anisimova hit with power Raducanu couldn't match and was lethal on return – winning 50% of first-serve return points and 73% on second serve.

Anisimova struck 29 winners to just 25 unforced errors in a quick match. Raducanu made 22 unforced errors and managed only 5 winners, never threatening.

Round of 16 Matchups and Storylines

Anisimova now meets Elina Svitolina, who similarly dominated her opponent, defeating Anna Kalinskaya 6-1 6-1 in just 56 minutes. Svitolina's first serve was nearly unplayable when it landed in, and Kalinskaya appeared exhausted after her finals run at the WTA 500 in Washington last week. The Ukrainian continues a strong season and is clearly chasing a Top 10 return with another deep run.


Madison Keys will face Karolina Muchova, who is finally healthy after injury-marred clay and grass seasons. Muchova defeated Belinda Bencic in a three-set comeback win, 6-7(2) 6-2 6-3, after a grueling 2:45 battle. Currently ranked #14, Muchova must defend a hefty number of points in the coming months. She's extremely talented, but her recurrent injuries have repeatedly disrupted her rise.


Iga Swiatek faces Clara Tauson in a rematch of their Round of 16 clash at Wimbledon. The Dane seeks revenge after a lackluster performance in London due to illness. Swiatek looks in full control in Montreal, but Tauson was impressive in her last match, defeating rising Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-3 6-0 while facing just four pressure points on serve. Tauson is already a WTA 1000 finalist this year in Dubai on hard courts.


Today, the top half play their Round of 16 matches. You can also catch our preview of the Round of 16 in the top half of the draw here: WTA 1000 Montreal 2025 Round of 32 Recap – Gauff Survives, Andreeva and Navarro Out – Top Half Analysis