Pegula defends NBO women's title; Dabrowski falls in doubles final

TORONTO — Jessica Pegula had just lost her first set of the National Bank Open.

The momentum was on the side of an opponent seated several metres away — a hard-hitting, former Grand Slam semifinalist in the midst of an impressive climb back up the WTA Tour rankings.

Feeling right at home not far from where she grew up, Pegula didn't blink.

And then continued to dominate north of the border.

The No. 3 seed topped Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 to defend her NBO women's singles crown in Monday's all-American title match.

The product of nearby Buffalo, N.Y., also won last year's Canadian tennis championship in Montreal and improved her all-time mark at the event to 17-2.

"I really wanted this one," said Pegula, who picked up her sixth tournament victory overall. "I know everyone's talking about my record and all this stuff, but it's nice to be able to get through the week and to back it up.

"Just super excited … an honour, really."

Pegula, ranked No. 6 in the world, is the first woman to repeat in Canada since Martina Hingis in 2000.

"I've always just played well here," said the 30-year-old. "Especially Toronto, it's nice. It's so close to Buffalo, I had a lot of friends, family (in the stands). And my grandparents, my husband.

"I don't really get that at a lot of tournaments."

Anisimova, who entered the week ranked 132nd as she continues her comeback after stepping away from the game for a mental health break last year, beat three top-20 players in Toronto, including No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals.

"Really thought I had it there after the second set, but she really stepped it up," said Anisimova, who will wake up Tuesday at No. 49 in the rankings. "She was playing some amazing tennis. It was a very, very difficult match.

"I tried different game plans, but it didn't work in my favour."

No. 1 seeds Ottawa's Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand's Erin Routliffe were upset by the American duo of Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk 7-6 (2), 3-6, [10-7] in the doubles final later Monday.

Dabrowski, who captured mixed doubles bronze at the Paris Olympics with Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime, also won the NBO doubles crown in 2021 with former partner Luisa Stefani of Brazil.

Monday's match between Pegula and Anisimova marked just the second time the final of a WTA 1000 event — one step below the sport's four Grand Slams — has featured two Americans since the format was first introduced in 2009, with the only other instance coming in 2016 when Serena Williams defeated Madison Keys in Rome.

The NBO finals for the women in Toronto and the men in Montreal were played a day later than the usual Sunday slot because of Olympic-related scheduling.

Pegula, who represented the U.S. at the Games and improved to 3-0 against Anisimova after also topping her on clay earlier this season, beat Liudmila Samsonova in last year's final.

The daughter of Terry and Kim Pegula — owners of the NFL's Buffalo Bills and NHL's Buffalo Sabres — picked up a break in Monday's first game and led 5-3 when Anisimova double-faulted to go down a set in the wind at Sobeys Stadium.

Anisimova trailed love-40 in the second before battling back to hold and then broke Pegula to go up 2-1 following a long rally.

The 22-year-old from Freehold, N.J., who made the 2019 French Open semifinal at age 17, pushed ahead 5-2 with another break when Pegula committed a double fault, and held serve to hand her compatriot that first dropped set.

"Pivotal moment," Pegula said. "I was able to reset."

She certainly did.

Pegula held serve to get things started and then broke Anisimova to go up 2-0. She held again and broke Anisimova to move two points from the title.

Anisimova sent a return into the net to stretch Pegula's lead to 5-0. The relentless Pegula served out from there for a 10th consecutive win in women's singles at the Canadian Open — the most since Williams put up 14 from 2011 to 2014.

Monday also marked the first time two American women have played for Canada's national championship since Williams defeated Jennifer Capriati in 2001.

"I don't know what it is about Canada," Pegula said. "I seem to do well. I'll take it."

Anisimova, meanwhile, had no idea how her return to competitive tennis would go when she stepped back into the spotlight at January's Australian Open following an eight-month break.

"I put the work in, I kept my head down," she said. "I tried to come back to the sport with more of a relaxed feeling — trying to enjoy each day as it comes and not being so serious about everything, because I think that takes away the joy from a lot of things.

"With that kind of approach to my everyday life, I think that's helped me a lot."

Pegula, meanwhile, felt joy on Centre Court after another successful trip north.

"It's a cool trophy," she said with the new hardware at her side. "It's one of my favourite ones."

Pegula will be looking to grasp it a third time in 12 months.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12, 2024.

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