Two-time defending champion Jessica Pegula was eliminated in the third round of the Canadian Open, falling 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 to Anastasija Sevastova in Montreal.<\/p>\n
Sevastova, a 35-year-old from Latvia who was ranked 11th in 2018 but has fallen to 386th, broke the third-seeded Pegula six times on 10 chances.<\/p>\n
“Somehow, I was down 2-0 in the second set and started to play better and better,” Sevastova said. “Third set, I played really good. “Just trying to stay on the court as long as possible.”<\/p>\n
In the night session, Wimbledon champion Iga \u015awi\u0105tek of Poland routed Eva Lys of Germany 6-2, 6-2. The second-seeded \u015awi\u0105tek advanced to face 16th-seeded Clara Tauson of Denmark, a 6-3, 6-0 winner over Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva.<\/p>\n
Sevastova has played 24 WTA Tour-level matches in four years. She got a spot in the main draw with a protected ranking because of a knee injury. In March 2024, in her fourth tournament back from maternity leave, she tore her ACL in a tour event in Austin, Texas.<\/p>\n
“It’s tough, but I think I’m a fighter, also on court,” Sevastova said. “I didn’t want to give up. This was really about coming back and showing that you can do it after a torn ACL, after such a setback. It was like unfinished business.”<\/p>\n
Sevastova is the lowest-ranked player to beat a top-10 player since Angelique Kerber edged Jelena Ostapenko last year at Indian Wells.<\/p>\n
She beat Australian Ajla Tomljanovic in three sets in the opening round at the Canadian Open, before eliminating Polish 25th seed Magda Linette to set up the match against Pegula.<\/p>\n
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