Up-and-coming star Gauff triumphs over Collins, progressing at the Montreal tournament
A Japanese qualifier, Aoi Ito, caused a major upset at the 2025 Montreal WTA Tour event (National Bank Open) by defeating the seventh seed, Jasmine Paolini, in a thrilling three-set match. The victory marks Ito's first WTA 1000 level triumph and her first victory over a top-10 opponent.
Prior to this week, Ito had not won a tour-level match this year. However, she started the tournament on a high note, claiming a 125-level title at Canberra in January. In her match against Paolini, Ito saved a match point in the 10th game of the second set, ultimately securing her place in the third round.
Ito will face Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the next round, after Maneiro defeated Ashlyn Krueger 6-4, 6-4.
Meanwhile, in another part of the tournament, Coco Gauff, the top seed and the reigning French Open champion, narrowly advanced to the third round. Gauff faced a challenging match against Danielle Collins, overcoming 23 double faults and serving inconsistently throughout. Gauff converted nine of 16 break chances in her victory.
The first set between Gauff and Collins lasted 53 minutes, with both players exchanging breaks in the first four games. Collins forced a third set by breaking at love to 4-3 and holding twice. However, Gauff managed to win the final set 6-4, setting up a match against Veronika Kudermetova in the third round.
Kudermetova eliminated Olga Danilovic in her previous match, winning 6-4, 6-2. There is no detailed data yet on Gauff’s gameplay or tactical approach versus Kudermetova at this event. However, Gauff demonstrated resilience and ability to manage her serve difficulties in the previous round, winning a tight match despite many double faults.
Kudermetova’s straightforward win in her previous round suggests a tough upcoming match for Gauff. The match duration between Gauff and Kudermetova was not available as of the latest information on July 30, 2025.
In a separate match, Leylah Fernandez, the DC Open champion, lost her opener on home soil to Maya Joint with a score of 6-4, 6-1.
[1] Source: Tennis.com [2] Source: WTA Tour [3] Source: ESPN
Canada hosted two exciting third-round matches, as the WTA Tour event continued. Aoi Ito, after her victory in Canberra earlier this year, will face Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. In a different competition, Coco Gauff, the top seed and French Open champion, will take on Veronika Kudermetova, who eliminated Olga Danilovic in Russia.
