Preview / Schedule 2024 Canadian Open (Montreal and Toronto) Day Four - Friday August 9 including Sinner, Sabalenka-Boulter and Korda-Fritz

The Last 16 takes centre stage as the Canadian Open (National Bank Open/Omnium Banque Nationale for sponsorship reasons) reaches the business end. The schedule is confirmed for Friday 9 August and our preview looks ahead to the action continuing in both Montreal and Toronto.

Albeit in Montreal, some Last 32 ties still need to be completed after rain delays halted proceedings last night. But Jannik Sinner will lead the line as one of the players who did open his campaign successfully.

Sinner continues campaign and potential double duty for Fritz

Jannik Sinner started off his campaign at the Canadian Open on Thursday by defeating Borna Coric 6-2, 6-4 and now has his sights set on a tough test. He will take on 15th seed Alejandro Tabilo.

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He surged in his Montreal opener in a match described as popcorn worthy by organisers. Maybe if Coric was the player he was a few years ago, but Sinner who aims to find himself back in tennis ascendancy picked him apart and now returns to the court soon after as top seed this week in Montreal. He faces the tough Chilean who has made supreme strides this year and will be tough to beat.

There is also the matter of a few ties that weren't completed. Flavio Cobolli is currently 3-0 down to Arthur Rinderknech for instance. Hubert Hurkacz faces Thanasi Kokkinakis and Sebastian Korda will face Taylor Fritz. Albeit the all American clash will likely provide a double duty scenario. The winner will have to then return only a few hours later during the night session to face Casper Ruud.

The Korda-Fritz winner has to return soon after due to rain delays with Ruud their L16 opponent.

Holger Rune v Alexander Zverev is also the highlight of that foray of matches in the early hours of Saturday morning. While during the day slot, it is the likes of Grigor Dimitrov, Kei Nishikori and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in action as well as a clash between Brandon Nakashima and Andrey Rublev. A lot of shocks and also near misses happened on Thursday so Friday could shape up to be another unmissable day.

Sinner may court all the headlines, but it could be one of many clashes that steals the attention on Friday evening including those still in their Last 32 infancy. Hopefully rain pending it will all happen but as has been the way this tennis summer, it has been nothing but unpredictable.

Men's Schedule Montreal

American stars take centre stage in Toronto

A social media user remarked that the Canadian Open in the WTA almost feels like a national championship for US players and that is very much a theme going into Friday's action.

As well as Coco Gauff playing in the early hours of the morning on Saturday, there are a further six American players in action during the day. Emma Navarro starts it all off with the rising American star aiming to put her Olympic Games disappointment behind her.

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She had an uncharacteristic outburst aimed at Qinwen Zheng leaving her red faced as the Chinese ace went on to win the gold medal. But she faces a player that got so close to her own history in Marta Kostyuk who lost to eventual silver medalist Donna Vekic on the verge of at least the bronze medal match. She was one of the real success stories of Paris and has continued that form. She came to Toronto and continued winning ways dispatching both Tatjana Maria and Elina Svitolina back-to-back. While for Navarro, it was an easy win over Magda Linette.

Then it is the resurgent Amanda Anisimova. She gained revenge over Caroline Dolehide easily in the opening round after a good Washington run last week then saw off Daria Kasatkina. Now it is Anna Kalinskaya awaiting for a Quarter-Final spot. The Russian who has been one of the best players on the WTA Tour this season has battled with injury though.

Coco Gauff plays once more on Friday but could face a tricky assignment with Diana Shnaider.

But is back on the court and looking good in doing so after halting her return in Washington last week. A good match to look forward to there. Taylor Townsend faces Jelena Ostapenko also while an all American clash sees Jessica Pegula who is defending champion aim to continue her charge. She faces Ashlyn Krueger.

Krueger who wiped the floor with Leylah Fernandez in their last round will aim to show that it wasn't just a bad day in the office again for the Canadians with all their names now gone in both draws. Then Peyton Stearns jousts with Victoria Azarenka once more.

Characterised perhaps more in their last meeting for the presence bizarrely of Azarenka's ex-boyfriend and well known tennis fan, musician Redfoo. That was a mere coincidence but while he likely won't be in attendance this time, it is two players who firmly leave it all on the court with their emotions and their game styles.

Stearns says she has that dawg in her but is Azarenka up for the fight in that one. Elise Mertens v Liudmila Samsonova ends the day before the night session sees Coco Gauff take on Diana Shnaider.

Gauff saw off Yafan Wang in the last round but did not look comfortable at times. While Shnaider miraculously won silver at the Olympic Games and is winning matches likely with jet lag just days later. But she will take the chances that Wang did not in picking apart the Gauff game. So expect a response from the top seed or it could be curtains.

Katie Boulter is next in the sights for Aryna Sabalenka who will aim for a resurgence after missed tournaments.

Then it is the turn of Katie Boulter who benefited from Beatriz Haddad-Maia's injury withdrawal to move through. She faces second seed Aryna Sabalenka in a double header of top seeded action and like in the men's, an unmissable Night Session awaits.

Women's Schedule - Toronto