Maria Sakkari is out of the Canadian Open, falling to two-time defending champion Jessica Pegula 7–5, 6–4 in a tightly contested match.
The world No. 72 showed moments of brilliance and led for portions of the opening set, but was ultimately unable to close it out despite holding five set points. Pegula, ranked No. 4 in the world, rallied from 3–5 down and took the final four games to snatch the first set.
Sakkari, who entered the tournament as the No. 6 seed, was looking to build on recent momentum and gain crucial rankings points ahead of the US Open series. She started strong, reeling off 12 consecutive points midway through the first set to wrest control from the American.
However, Pegula’s experience and composure under pressure proved decisive. She saved multiple set points in the tenth game and broke the Greek’s serve to level the match before closing out the set.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with Pegula again seizing the early initiative. Although Sakkari managed to reduce a 1–4 deficit to 3–4, the American held firm in the closing stages, breaking again and serving out the match after one hour and 45 minutes on court.
With the win, Pegula extended her unbeaten run in Montreal to 11 matches and maintained her edge in the head-to-head against Sakkari, now leading 7–5.
