Tennis
Canadian Youngsters Make Moves in Doubles National Bank Open
The tennis action is getting intense here in Toronto as the National Bank Open presented by Rogers continues on Thursday. All four Centre Court matches today have superstar power with Coco Gauff, Leylah Annie Fernandez, Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka all scheduled to entertain the crowds at Sobeys Stadium.
Around the grounds, Thursday is National Bank Day with plenty of fun activities for spectators to keep busy between matches.
There is tennis trivia on the Main Stage in the early and late afternoon with live music happening in between. Court 5 has an afternoon Target Practice set up between 2:00-4:00 to see if fans can serve like a pro and, of course, the Fastest Serve booth is set up all week long for fans to see if they can crank the ball like Ace Queen Karolina Pliskova.
Follow the Live Results from Toronto on Thursday
The tennis itself has already had plenty of great storylines here in Toronto through the opening couple of rounds. In terms of Canadian content, Leylah Annie Fernandez got through her first-round opponent Nao Hibino in three sets last night and continues today against qualifier Ashlyn Krueger who she faces today in both singles and later in doubles, when she joins forces with younger sister Bianca Jolie.
Speaking of doubles, while we wait to see the first appearance in Toronto from recent Olympic Bronze medallist Gabriela Dabrowski and her partner, newly crowned World No. 1, Erin Routliffe, there is another Canadian tandem making noise here aside from the Fernandez sisters.
Read also: Naomi Osaka Thriving On and Off the Court
The wildcard duo of Ariana Arseneault and Mia Kupres have received free passage into the quarter-finals after their opponents withdrew as Marie Bouzkova suffered an ankle injury. Arseneault and Kupres play NCAA tennis so this is a huge opportunity for them in terms of ranking points, prize money, and of course the confidence it will bring them in their growth as future professional players.
For fans on site, there are tons of doubles matches happening around the grounds and it’s a great chance to see this exciting part of the sport up close and personal. The hand-eye coordination, quick reflexes and team dynamic is like nothing else in the sport.
The WTA’s best return to Toronto this summer for the National Bank Open August 4 to 12, 2024 at Sobeys Stadium. 2024 Tickets are on sale. Get your tickets today!
Feature Photo: Gyles Dias