Defending champ Jessica Pegula into the quarterfinals at National Bank Open

Jessica Pegula remains on track at the National Bank Open.

The defending champion from the U.S. defeated American qualifier Ashlyn Krueger 6-2, 6-4 on Friday to advance to the quarterfinals at the Canadian tennis championship.

The 30-year-old from Buffalo, N.Y., took advantage of nine double faults in a performance where she struggled at times inside a windy Sobeys Stadium.

Pegula topped Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova in last year’s final in Montreal after also making the semis in both 2021 and 2022.

The 20-year-old Krueger upset No. 15 seed Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., on Thursday to eliminate the last remaining Canadian singles player in the draw — both in Toronto and at the men’s event in Montreal.

In other early matches, Taylor Townsend of the U.S. upset No. 4 Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-2, 6-1 and No. 8 Emma Navarro beat No. 11 Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 7-5, 7-5.

Townsend’s unlikely run continued after she made the women’s bracket as an injury replacement before No. 16 seed Dayana Yastremska retired in the second set of their match Tuesday.

The 71st-ranked American then steamrolled Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., by a count of 6-0, 6-2 on Thursday to advance.

Top seed Coco Gauff of the U.S. was scheduled to take on No. 14 Diana Shnaider of Russia in the evening session.

Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and partner Erin Routliffe of New Zealand were slated to hit the doubles court for their first action in Toronto this year.

Pegula, who downed Czechia’s Karolina Pliskova in straight sets to open her title defence Wednesday, improved to 3-0 against Krueger after also topping the Dallas native 6-0, 6-2 at Wimbledon last month.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 9, 2024.