Jessica Pegula pulled off a daring first-set escape at the Omnium Banque Nationale on Wednesday to maintain her status as the reigning Queen of Canada.
Montreal: Draws | Scores | Order of play
In a second-round clash in Montreal, No. 3 seed Pegula of the United States fended off five set points at 5-4 in the opening set and collected a 7-5, 6-4 win over Maria Sakkari of Greece.
Two-time defending champion Pegula has now won 11 straight matches at this tournament — and she has done it spanning two Canadian provinces. She grabbed this WTA 1000 hard-court title here in Montreal in 2023, and successfully retained her crown last year, when the women’s event took its turn in Toronto.
Pegula and Sakkari know each other’s games very well — this was the 12th meeting between these two players, both of whom have peaked at World No. 3 in the PIF WTA Singles Rankings. This time, it was the American who prevailed in 1 hour and 32 minutes to take a 7-5 lead in their head-to-head.
On Wednesday, Pegula led 3-1 in the first set before Sakkari stormed back in the opener, at one point winning 12 points in a row. Sakkari held her five set points at 5-4 but Pegula showed off her Canadian magic, battling to a hold for 5-5.
After that, Pegula’s service returns ramped up in efficacy and she won the next four games to lead by a set and a break. Pegula got all the way to 4-1 in the second set before Sakkari made another surge and reached 4-3.
By this point, though, Pegula was weighting her drop shots perfectly and held most of the control. The American had to save one final break point in the last game before earning another win in Canada.
Pegula converted all five of her break points on Wednesday, becoming the first woman to win 11 straight matches at this event since Serena Williams reeled off 14 straight between 2011 and 2014.
More to come…