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By Mike McIntyre, co-host of the Match Point Canada Podcast.
Because the match nears the end line on the Nationwide Financial institution Open in Toronto, I can’t assist however suppose again to among the nice “Canadian Open” finals of years previous right here.
Usually probably the most stunning of finalists can produce probably the most rewarding of outcomes. Right here,l nevertheless, are three blockbuster finals from the 21st Century that stay etched in our reminiscence in Canada. Two of them featured nice on-court battles whereas the third had historic that means for tennis followers in our nation.
2001 Serena Williams d Jennifer Capriati
It was an all-American ultimate in Toronto throughout the summer time of 2001 between Jennifer Capriati and Serena Williams. It was a second Canadian Open ultimate for Serena Williams, who had misplaced the yr prior in Montreal to Martina Hingis.
Though Capriati was solely 25 years previous on the time, she appeared like fairly the veteran having been knowledgeable tennis participant because the age of 14. After off-court obstacles derailed her immense expertise for a time period, Capriati was in wonderful type coming into the match in Toronto in 2001 having received each the Australian and French Open’s that yr – the primary two majors of her profession.
For her half, Serena Williams was simply getting began by way of all of the unbelievable accomplishments she would accumulate all through her profession. By that summer time she had however a single Slam to her identify, on the 1999 US Open, however her expertise was plain and her energy together with massive sister Venus, was altering the ladies’s recreation. Capriati received their encounter at Wimbledon earlier in the summertime in a detailed three set match.
It was Serena nevertheless, who emerged victorious on this hard-hitting Toronto ultimate, with a 6-1, 6-7(7), 6-3 win over Capriati. Serena would go on to lose the US Open ultimate to her massive sister Venus in September, however the next yr would win all three Majors that she performed. She would seize two extra Nationwide Financial institution Open titles, additionally in Toronto, in 2011 and 2013.
2004 Roger Federer d. Andy Roddick
It was the rising rivalry of the early 2000s on the ATP Tour between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick.
Federer was coming into the match having received three of the previous 5 Grand Slams to lastly fulfill the promise many tennis followers and reporters had been speaking about for years. Simply weeks earlier Federer had defended his Wimbledon title in opposition to Roddick with a 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(3), 6-4 victory and followers in Toronto had their hopes up that the pair would meet one another once more right here in Canada the place Roddick was the defending champion from a yr earlier in Montreal.
Roddick had not dropped a set all week in Toronto coming into the finals, whereas Federer was pushed to 3 in his semifinal win over Thomas Johansson. Within the ultimate, it was Federer who prevailed with a 7-5, 6-3 victory. The win prolonged Federer’s summer time successful streak to 23 matches and shortly thereafter he would add a sixth main title to his haul on the US Open.
2019 Bianca Andreescu d. Serena Williams
Canada’s Bianca Andreescu, previous to being knowledgeable tennis participant, watched the 2015 Nationwide Financial institution Open semifinal between Belinda Bencic and Serena Williams in particular person and advised her Mother, “I’m going to try this sooner or later.” The 19-year-old made good on that promise after which went one additional by successful her residence championship in 2019, albeit below distinctive and difficult circumstances.
Her opponent, the legendary Serena Williams, needed to retire from the match with harm early within the first set with Andreescu main 3-1. A shoulder harm that had introduced itself throughout her semifinal match a day earlier proved an excessive amount of to finish with.
Regardless of the anti-climactic end, Andreescu turned the primary Canadian to win the singles title on the occasion since Faye City completed the feat in 1969 – fifty years prior! The younger Canadian admitted later that she had been so emotional about dealing with Serena previous to stepping out onto the court docket that she was holding again tears throughout the warm-up for the match.
It was Serena who later turned emotional whereas sitting in her chair courtside after her harm retirement, leaving Andreescu to come back over and console her in a touching second between the 2 that we’ll always remember. Serena referred to as Andreescu, “an ideal sportswoman” and an “previous soul” following the alternate.
Andreescu would construct on the win in Toronto the next month in New York the place she captured her first Grand Slam title by defeating Serena as soon as once more, this time in an entire match that completed 6-3, 7-5, to solidify her presence as a WTA star.
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