Six American women were in action on Day 4 of the National Bank Open: US Open champion Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Emma Navarro, Peyton Stearns, Taylor Townsend, and Amanda Anisimova. They were all competing for a place in the quarterfinals. The six Americans created a piece of history on a memorable day in Toronto.
US Women Make History On Day 4 of National Bank Open
The WTA began awarding 1000 points to the winner of some tournaments in 2009. This started with four mandatory tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, and Beijing. In 2021, five tournaments that awarded 900 points to the champion merged with the mandatory events and also began giving 1000 points to the champion. Before this year’s National Bank Open, no more than three American women had reached the quarterfinals of the same WTA-1000 event.
That changed on Day 4 in Toronto. Taylor Townsend started the day with a 6-2, 6-1 demolition of the 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko. Her ability to take Ostapenko’s serve early was particularly impressive. Wimbledon quarterfinalist Emma Navarro then defeated Marta Kostyuk 7-5, 7-5. There were many long rallies, but the 23-year-old was slightly more consistent in the two sets.
An American was guaranteed to win in the match between Jessica Pegula and Ashlyn Krueger. Unfortunately for Krueger, she struggled with the windy conditions, and Pegula prevailed 6-2 6-4. Amanda Anisimova and Peyton Stearns had easier routes to the quarterfinals. Anna Kalinskaya retired after the first set against Anisimova with an illness, while former Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka retired with an injury while 4-6 2-4 down to Stearns.
Coco Gauff was unable to make it six American women in the quarterfinals, falling to Diana Shnaider. However, five American women making the quarterfinals is the highest number in the history of tournaments awarding 1000 points. That is an outstanding achievement and shows the strength in depth in American women’s tennis right now.
There will be two all-American women’s quarterfinals at the National Bank Open. Pegula will play Stearns, and Navarro will face Townsend. It is the first time there have been two all-American quarterfinals at the same WTA event since the 2016 Bank of the West Classic in Stanford. That statistic also proves the healthy state of American women’s tennis.
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey – USA TODAY Sports
