Jessica Pegula and Jannik Sinner win 2023 National Bank Open

Jessica Pegula (David Iliff, Wikimedia Commons)

The first Tennis Masters 1000 series event of the summer in 2023 is now complete, and the winners of the National Bank Open in Canada are Jessica Pegula of the United States on the women’s side, and Jannik Sinner of Italy on the men’s side.

It was quite simply a dominant women’s final for Pegula, who defeated Liudmila Samsonova of Russia 6-1, 6-0. In a match that lasted only 49 minutes, the major difference in the match was unforced errors. Pegula had three, while Samsonova had 22. For Samsonova, it was her second match on Sunday. She had to play her semifinal match earlier on Sunday because of rain in Montreal on Saturday. There, Samsonova beat Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, 1-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Pegula was by far the best player in Montreal. In the third round, she also bageled Jasmine Paolini of Italy in a set, as she came away with a 6-4, 6-0 win. Then in the quarterfinals, Pegula beat fellow American Coco Gauff, the 2022 French Open finalist, 6-2, 5-7. 7-5, before beating Iga Swiatek of Poland, 6-2, 6-7, 6-4.

Pegula’s win over Swiatek was notable when you consider the fact she beat the world number one and four-time major champion. Swiatek has won the 2020 French Open, 2022 French Open, 2022 United States Open and 2023 French Open.

This was Pegula’s third WTA title and second WTA 1000 title. She previously beat Maria Sakkari of Greece, 6-2, 6-3, in the 2022 Guadalajara Open final in Mexico.

Sinner meanwhile breezed past Alex de Minaur of Australia 6-4, 6-1 in Toronto in the men’s final. Sinner had three aces compared to one for de Minaur, and Sinner had 14 winners compared to three for de Minaur.

En route to the final, Sinner beat three ATP Players who have reached at least a grand slam semifinal. He beat fellow Italian and 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini 6-4, 6-3 in the second round, two-time grand slam semifinalist Gael Monfils of France 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals, and the 12th seed American and 2023 Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Paul, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals. Monfils reached the semifinals of the 2008 French Open and 2016 United States Open. This was Sinner’s eighth career title, but first at the 1000 level.

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