Gauff survives as top seeds fall – WTA 1000 Montreal 2025 Top Half Recap and Round of 16 Analysis

The WTA 1000 National Bank Open in Montreal has so far delivered plenty of emotion, thrilling matches, and surprising results. The top half of the draw has reached the Round of 16 stage after three intense rounds, which saw several early exits from top contenders. Top seed Coco Gauff remains in contention after surviving two grueling matches, although she has yet to play up to her usual standards. Here is a complete recap of the top half after the third round, along with a preview of the upcoming Round of 16 matchups.

Gauff Survives Two Early Scares

Coco Gauff is the top seed in Montreal in the absence of Aryna Sabalenka. The current Roland Garros champion returned to action after a disappointing grass court season, which included straight-sets defeats in both Berlin and Wimbledon. Her opening match turned into a tense battle against compatriot Danielle Collins, a player whose on-court performance has seemingly diminished in 2025. Despite being the heavy favorite, Gauff endured a marathon encounter lasting over three hours—a contender for one of the scrappiest matches of the season. She fired 23 double faults and committed a total of 72 unforced errors. The 10 years older fellow American wasn’t far behind, tallying 80 unforced errors of her own. Both players won fewer than half of their service games (8 out of 17 each), facing break points in nearly every game.

Gauff appeared to take control in the deciding set, going up 4-2, but allowed her lower ranked opponent to come back into contention. The 31-year-old leveled the score and gained a break in 11th game to serve for the match at 6-5, but Gauff held her nerve in the key moments, leveling the score and dominating the tiebreak 7-2 to seal a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 win.

What looked like a one-off scare soon repeated itself. In the next round, Gauff faced Veronika Kudermetova, and again, her level was inconsistent. Kudermetova, a former top-10 player, led 6-4, 3-1 and looked poised for an upset. She outplayed Gauff in most rallies, even discounting the American's unforced errors. But once again, Gauff elevated her game just in time, as Kudermetova’s consistency faltered. Gauff forced a decider and finally regained control of her serve, closing out a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 comeback. She hit 27 winners in that match compared to 53 unforced errors—a notable improvement, but still a concern going forward.

Top Seeds Fall in Early Rounds

Gauff is the only one of the top four seeds remaining in the top half. The first major upset occurred in the Round of 64, where seventh seed Jasmine Paolini was stunned by qualifier Aoi Ito. Paolini was the clear favorite, listed at odds of 1.14 pre-match, and was cruising with a 6-2, 4-1 lead. But Ito mounted an impressive comeback, saving match point in the tenth game of the second set and eventually forcing a decider. The third set became a break fest, with Ito emerging victorious 2-6, 7-5, 7-6(5)—the biggest upset on paper in Montreal so far.

Mirra Andreeva entered Montreal as a top favorite after an exceptional spring hard court season, which saw her win back-to-back WTA 1000 events in Dubai and Indian Wells. Her third-round match against rising American McCartney Kessler lived up to expectations. Andreeva served twice for the first set but was outmaneuvered by Kessler, who forced a tiebreak and took it 7-5. Visibly frustrated, Andreeva struggled further in the second set, suffering a fall that caused ankle pain. Despite taking a medical timeout while trailing 1-4, she managed to even the score. However, Kessler held her nerve and clinched the match 7-6(5), 6-4.

Emma Navarro, another top seed, also exited early. After snapping a three-match hard court losing streak with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Rebecca Marino, she faced Dayana Yastremska in the third round. Navarro started both sets strongly, but Yastremska eventually dominated with her aggressive, high-risk tennis. Navarro had no real answers from the baseline and fell 7-5, 6-4. The win marked Yastremska’s 30th of the season—her most successful campaign in years.

Canadian Highlights and Emotional Moments

Canadian fans have had some reasons to cheer during the early stages. Former world No. 5 Eugenie Bouchard received a wildcard entry for what is expected to be her final career tournament. Her farewell run exceeded expectations, as she notched a hard-fought win over Emiliana Arango in three sets. In the second round, Bouchard gave Belinda Bencic a tough challenge before falling 6-4 in the third. Her performance earned applause and admiration from the local crowd.

Bianca Andreescu also returned, defeating last year’s Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in straight sets. Unfortunately, persistent injury issues forced Andreescu to withdraw before her scheduled second-round clash against Andreeva. Yet the Canadian flag is still flying high thanks to rising star Victoria Mboko, who reached the Round of 16. Mboko pulled off an impressive comeback win over WTA Prague champion Marie Bouzkova, triumphing 1-6, 6-3, 6-0. She also scored a 6-2, 6-3 victory over former Grand Slam winner Sofia Kenin in the previous round, showing remarkable composure and patience.

Round of 16 Matchups – What to Expect

With several upsets and tightly contested battles already behind us, the Round of 16 promises more drama and unpredictability. Top half will play their matches on Saturday and here is the breakdown.

Coco Gauff will face Victoria Mboko. On paper, the top seed is the clear favorite, and expectations are that she’ll finally find some rhythm after two difficult matches. However, Mboko has shown that she’s more than capable of putting up a fight, and this could be another tricky test for Gauff.

McCartney Kessler will take on Marta Kostyuk in a battle without a clear favorite. Kessler is coming off her upset win over Andreeva, while Kostyuk edged Daria Kasatkina in a third-set tiebreak. After losing the first set, Kostyuk turned the match around with 33 winners and a standout point during the tiebreak that had the crowd roaring.

Elena Rybakina has quietly advanced to the Round of 16 with straight-set wins over Hailey Baptiste and Jaqueline Cristian. Although she’s now outside the top 10, Rybakina remains a formidable contender. She will face Dayana Yastremska in what promises to be a power-packed encounter between two aggressive baseline players. If Rybakina plays at her peak, the match is likely to be on her racquet.

Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and Lin Zhu round out the top half matchups in the most surprising pairing of the round. Bouzas Maneiro, traditionally strong on clay, has shown her adaptability with a Round of 16 run at Wimbledon and now in Montreal. Lin Zhu, returning from injury, has delivered the biggest upset so far by defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova. She followed it with a dominant win over Suzan Lamens. With both players chasing a career-defining quarterfinal spot, this match is wide open.