It’s down to the final eight at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers and opportunity knocks for the remaining contenders thanks to a multitude of upsets in the opening rounds.
The top half of the draw has remained relatively intact with three top eight seeds and a very in-form Nick Kyrgios set to battle for a spot in the final. Meanwhile, the bottom half will produce a first-time Masters 1000 finalist among the quartet of Spanish veteran Pablo Carreno Busta, 20-year-old Jack Draper, Brit Daniel Evans, and American Tommy Paul.
Auger-Aliassime vs. Ruud
One of Friday’s most enticing quarter-finals will undoubtedly be Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime going up against Casper Ruud of Norway, the highest seed left in singles. The two players have split their first two meetings with the Canadian winning their only encounter on hard courts back in 2019.
On Thursday, Auger-Aliassime became the first Quebec-born player to reach the quarter-finals of the National Bank Open.
In Friday’s other match in the top half, eighth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz will attempt to halt Kyrgios’ remarkable run of victories. The Aussie will be appearing in his first quarter-final on Canadian soil.
A Happy Hour Moment
On Thursday while waiting out another rain delay, we discovered the newest changeover snack: the classic burger!
