Canadian Open: Svitolina breezes past Anisimova, Osaka awaits in the quarter-finals

Elina Svitolina is off to a strong start on the North American hard-court swing. The Ukrainian, seeded No.10, produced a composed and dominant performance on Sunday night in Montreal to dismiss Amanda Anisimova (No.5) — one of the hottest players on tour in recent weeks — in straight sets (6-4, 6-1). The victory, secured in just over an hour and 20 minutes, reinforces her solid summer form.

Less sharp than in her previous rounds, Anisimova quickly found herself overwhelmed in the rallies by a highly mobile and tactically sound Svitolina. The Ukrainian expertly handled the few dips in intensity, dropped serve only once, and imposed a physical battle that the American was never truly able to match.

Having crushed Anna Kalinskaya (6-1, 6-1) in the previous round and eased past Kamilla Rakhimova in her opener, Svitolina continues to assert herself as a legitimate contender for the final stages at WTA 1000 level. This win marks her fourth WTA 1000 quarter-final of the season — only Iga Swiatek has done better in 2025, with five.

Osaka showdown up next

In the quarter-finals, Svitolina will face Naomi Osaka in a much-anticipated clash between two former Top 5 players making confident strides in their respective comebacks. Osaka booked her spot earlier in the day with a win over Anastasija Sevastova and has been steadily building momentum.

It will be the eighth meeting between the two (Osaka leads the head-to-head 4-3), with their last encounter coming in Miami 2024. The contrast in styles — Svitolina’s counter-punching versus Osaka’s power game — promises a night-session showdown of the highest quality at the IGA Stadium.

Montreal WTA 1000, other last 16 results (IGA Stadium, hard, USD 5.152.599, most recent results first):

• Clara Tauson (16) beat Iga Swiatek (2): 7-6 (1), 6-3
• Naomi Osaka beat Anastasija Sevastova: 6-1, 6-0
• Madison Keys (6) beat Karolina Muchova (11): 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
• Jessica Bouzas Maneiro beat Lin Zhu: 7-5, 1-6, 6-2
• Victoria Mboko (WC) beat Coco Gauff (1): 6-1, 6-4
• Elena Rybakina (9) beat Dayana Yastremska (30): 5-7, 6-2, 7-5
• Marta Kostyuk (24) beat McCartney Kessler (28): 5-7, 6-3, 6-3