National Bank Open Women’s Tournament Highlights 1990-2018
2018 Highlights
Top-seed Simona Halep lived up to her billing as she was crowned champion of the 2018 National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Montreal. She was pushed all the way in the final by Sloane Stephens, however, as the American forced three sets but eventually fell 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-4 to the Romanian. On her route to the final, Halep overcame tough tests against the likes of 2014 National Bank Open presented by Rogers finalist Venus Williams, France’s Caroline Garcia and Australian Ashleigh Barty. Stephens, meanwhile, had beaten defending champion Elina Svitolina in the semi-final, as well as 14th-seed Elise Mertens.
In doubles, Barty, alongside her partner Demi Schuurs, claimed the title with a 4-6, 6-3, 10-8 victory over Latisha Chan and Ekaterina Makarova. The win for Barty and Schuurs, seeded eighth, was somewhat of an upset as they were underdogs against their second-seeded opponents.
Canadian Results
It wasn’t to be a fruitful tournament for the Canadians as none of them made it past the second round. Francoise Abanda, a wild card, was the only player to reach that stage having defeated Belgian qualifier Kirsten Flipkens 6-3, 6-2 in round one. However, she was stopped in her tracks by eventual finalist Stephens at the very next hurdle, losing 6-0, 6-2 to the third seed. Eugenie Bouchard was handed a tough draw in the first round against 14th-seed Mertens, going on to lose the match 6-2, 6-4. Meanwhile, in the top half of the draw, fellow wild card Carol Zhao was defeated 6-1, 6-2 by Kiki Bertens in the first round.
In doubles, Gabriela Dabrowski and her partner Yifan Xu were beaten 6-4, 4-6, 10-6 by fellow Canadian Bouchard and Stephens, who would come unstuck in the quarter-finals, losing to eventual finalists Chan and Makarova. Francoise Abanda, Carson Branstine and Rebecca Marino were all knocked out in the first round.
2017 Highlights
The tournament’s fifth seed, Elina Svitolina, was crowned champion at the 2017 edition of National Bank Open presented by Rogers as she dominated Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets 6-4, 6-0 in the final. She thus became the first Ukrainian player to take home the title. On route to her appearance in the final, she defeated Daria Kasatkina, the 2014 National Bank Open finalist Venus Williams, two-time Grand Slam champion Garbiñe Muguruza and the defending champion Simona Halep. In 2017, Elina Svitolina had a career-best season in which she totaled 51 wins and won five titles. The biggest breakthrough of the tournament, however, belonged to Sloane Stephens who, was then ranked no. 934 due to a left foot injury, reached the semi-finals, eventually falling to Caroline Wozniacki. Just a few weeks later, she went on to win the US Open.
In doubles, for a second consecutive year, the Russian team of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina were crowned champions, defeating Anna-Lena Gröenefeld of Germany and Kveta Peschke of the Czech Republic in straight sets 6-0, 6-4. This was their 11th career title and their third in 2017.
Canadian Results
The Canadians Bianca Andreescu, Eugenie Bouchard and Françoise Abanda, all three who received Wild Cards for the main draw, fell in the first round against Timea Babos, Donna Vekic and Lucie Safarova, respectively. In doubles, the young Canadian duo of Carson Branstine and Bianca Andreescu caused an upset in the opening round by defeating a more experienced team in Kristina Mladenovic and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova before losing in the second round to the eventual champions in identical sets of 6-1. For their part, Charlotte Robillard-Millette and compatriot Carol Zhao were eliminated in the first round by the American team of Lauren Davis and Alison Riske by a score of 6-1, 6-4. Eugenie Bouchard and her partner Karolina Pliskova reached the second round but fell to the eventual finalists in a tight three-set match. Playing with Jelena Ostapenko, Ontario native Gabriela Dabrowski reached the quarter-finals, where she lost to the tournament’s third seeds, Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic.
Simona Halep made it to the final for the second year in a row and this time went home with the trophy. Becoming the first Romanian woman to win National Bank Open, Halep downed Australian Open champion and No. 2 seed Angelique Kerber in the semifinals before taking down No. 10 seed American Madison Keys 7-6(2), 6-3 to capture her first National Bank Open title. However, the surprise of the tournament was the performance of No. 121-ranked qualifier Kristina Kucova of Slovakia. The 26-year-old won her first-round match-up before moving on to upset No. 8 seed Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain. Kucova then took out hometown player and crowd favourite Eugenie Bouchard in the third round before defeating No. 15 seed Johanna Konta of Great Britain. Kucova’s Cinderella run came to an end after a semifinal loss to Madison Keys.
In doubles, Simona Halep was aiming to become the first player since Martina Hingis in 2000 to win both the singles and doubles championships at National Bank Open, but she and fellow Romanian Monica Niculescu fell just short to Russian duo Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the doubles final 6-3, 7-6(5).
Canadian Results
Wild card Francoise Abanda won her first-round match in her hometown of Montreal against China’s Zheng Saisai before the 19-year-old was defeated by Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 7-6(2), 7-6(3). Fellow Quebecois Aleksandra Wozniak was also granted a wild card spot but fell in the first round. Top-ranked Canadian Eugenie Bouchard thrilled Montreal fans by pulling off two big wins against Lucie Safarova and No. 11 seed Dominika Cibulkova to reach the third round but was then upset by Kristina Kucova 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. In doubles, an all-Canadian duo was ousted in the first round. Bouchard and partner Carol Zhao were defeated 6-2, 6-2 by Americans Raquel Atawo and Abigail Spears while top-ranked Canadian doubles player Gabriela Dabrowski and partner Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia dropped their opener 6-3, 6-2 to eventual finalists Simona Halep and Monica Niculescu.
Newcomer Belinda Bencic of Switzerland overpowered Simona Halep (2), who was forced to withdraw in the third set (7-6(5), 6-7(4), 3-0), and claimed her very first National Bank Open—the most important title of her young career. The 18-year-old had a dream week: she defeated world no.25 Eugenie Bouchard in the first round and went on to beat Caroline Wozniacki (4), Sabine Lisicki and Ana Ivanovic. But her biggest challenge was her semifinal match against two-time National Bank Open champion Serena Williams. Halep, who played in her first National Bank Open final, had only gone as far as the second round in 2011 and 2012. In doubles, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova (3) outlasted Caroline Garcia and Katarina Srebotnik (4) to earn their very first Canadian crown.
Canadian Results
Eugenie Bouchard, Canada’s no.1 player in singles, fell in three sets (6-0, 7-5, 6-2) to world no.20 and eventual champion Belinda Bencic in the first round. Two other Canadians had a wildcard into the main draw: Françoise Abanda and Carol Zhao. Neither made it past round 1 but Abanda fought hard and stole a set from Andrea Petkovic (16) of Germany (3-6, 6-4, 6-2). Zhao was wiped out in two identical sets (6-1, 6-1) by Madison Brengle of the US. In doubles, Gabriela Dabrowski, Canada’s no.1 doubles player, and her partner Alicja Rosolska of Poland couldn’t make it past the initial round, losing to Françoise Abanda and Heidi El Tabakh, who met up with Garcia and Srebotnik in the second round. The team made up of Sharon Fichman and Carol Zhao was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
No. 3-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska captured her first career National Bank Open title and the biggest trophy of her 2014 season by defeating Venus Williams 6-4, 6-2 in the final. Radwanska was impressive all week, dropping just one set through her five matches to former Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki in the third round. For her part, Venus played remarkable tennis to make her biggest final since 2010. Winning five tough matches, including four that went the full three sets, she ousted defending champion, sister Serena, in a thrilling all-Williams semifinal duel. In doubles, top seeds Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci battled past Cara Black and Sania Mirza in the championship match to clinch their first National Bank Open crown.
Canadian Results
Seeded No. 5, Eugenie Bouchard was coming off her run to the Wimbledon final when she took the court following a first-round bye at STADE IGA. She was unable to replicate her recent form though, falling to American Shelby Rogers. Three other Canadians received wild cards into the main draw – Francoise Abanda, Stephanie Dubois, and Aleksandra Wozniak. All three lost in the first round to their higher-ranked opponents, but 17-year-old Abanda impressed in taking a set off No. 10 seed Dominika Cibulkova. Canada’s top-ranked doubles player Gabriela Dabrowski made it to the second round in doubles, playing with Shahar Peer. Her partner from 2013, Fed Cup teammate Sharon Fichman, was unable to compete in this year’s National Bank Open due to injury. Abanda and Dubois also paired up to make an all-Quebecois team but were bested in the opening round.
World No. 1 Serena Williams collected her third National Bank Open crown without dropping a set in a remarkable 2013 season that saw the American capture ten titles, win over 70 matches, and take home over $10 million in prize money to further cement her status as one of the greatest players of all-time. She defeated first-time National Bank Open finalist Sorana Cirstea for the trophy Jelena Jankovic and Katarina Srebotnik were crowned doubles champions thanks to a win over Ana-Lena Groenefeld and Kveta Peschke.
Canadian Results
Eugenie Bouchard, Stéphanie Dubois, and Sharon Fichman were awarded main draw wildcards. Bouchard, who finished 2013 as the top-ranked teen on the WTA, advanced to the second round thanks to an impressive victory over Alisa Kleybanova. The 19-year-old was defeated in round two by former Wimbledon and National Bank Open champion Petra Kvitova. Dubois and Fichman faced eachother in an all-Canadian first round match up and it was Fichman who came out on top in a tough three set encounter. 17-year-old Carol Zhao played her way through qualifying to earn a spot in the main draw where she fell to Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the opening round. In doubles, Fichman and Gabriela Dabrowski joined forces to make an impressive run to the semifinals knocking out Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci, the no. 1 team in the world, en route.
After defeating 2010 National Bank Open champion Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals, the No.5-seeded Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic triumphed over No.10 Li Na of China 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 to win her first National Bank Open and eighth WTA title. It also was the 2011 Wimbledon champion’s first trophy on North American soil. On the doubles side, the Polish and French team of Klaudia Jans-Ignacik and Kristina Mladenovic defeated Russian-Slovenian duo Nadia Petrova and Katarina Srebotnik 7-5, 2-6, 10-7 for their first National Bank Open doubles title.
Canadian Results
Each receiving a wild card entry into the 2012 tournament, Eugenie Bouchard, Stephanie Dubois, and Aleksandra Wozniak were the Canadians in the singles tournament. Wozniak was one of the biggest highlights of the week, as she became the first Canadian female to make the quarter-finals of National Bank Open since Patricia Hy-Boulais in 1992. She beat Daniela Hantuchova, Jelena Jankovic, and Christina McHale before being defeated by Wozniacki. Dubois meanwhile lost in the first round, while 18-year-old Bouchard eliminated Shahar Peer before losing to eventual finalist Li in a close second-round match.
While the tournament’s Top 2 seeds, Caroline Wozniacki and Kim Clijsters, both lost their opening round matches, American Serena Williams, who was ranked outside of the Top 50 at the time, made the most of the open draw to reach the final where she defeated Samantha Stosur 6-4, 6-2 to capture her second title on Canadian soil, 10 years after winning her first National Bank Open crown. The American team of Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond won their first doubles title of the season without having to play the championship match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and Russia’s Maria Kirilenko. Azarenka was forced to withdraw because of a hand injury.
Canadian Results
Ranked No. 39 in the world, Rebecca Marino earned direct entry into the National Bank Open main draw for the first time in her young career. She was joined by Eugenie Bouchard, Stéphanie Dubois and Aleksandra Wozniak who were granted main draw wild cards. Dubois and Wozniak both reached the second round where they fell to Victoria Azarenka and Samantha Stosur, respectively. Bouchard and Marino both lost in the first round.
Two first-time National Bank Open finalists duelled in a rare Monday final as Caroline Wozniacki won her first Canadian title over Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 6-2. Rain pushed both the semifinals and championship match to the extra day, and the 20-year-old Dane dealt with the condensed schedule beautifully, winning her third tournament of the year. The Argentine-Italian doubles team of Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta continued their remarkable season by beating Kveta Peschke of Czech Republic and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia for their fifth title as a duo.
Canadian Results
Heidi El Tabakh joined wildcards Valerie Tetreault, Stephanie Dubois, and Aleksandra Wozniak in the main draw after qualifying for National Bank Open presented by Rogers for the second year in a row. In the first round, Dubois gave the Czech Republic’s Klara Zakopalova a tough time before falling 6-4, 5-7, 3-6. All four women lost in the opening round.
In a week that started with the Top 25 players in the world in the draw, Elena Dementieva captured her first National Bank Open crown in her ninth appearance at the tournament after defeating first time finalist Maria Sharapova 6-4, 6-3 in an all-Russian final. Spaniards Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez took home their maiden National Bank Open doubles title thanks to a 2-6, 7-5, 11-9 victory over Samantha Stosur and Renae Stubbs in the final.
Canadian Results
Heidi El Tabakh successfully qualified for her first main draw at a WTA Premier event and fell to Samantha Stosur in two tight sets in her opening round match. Aleksandra Wozniak, Stephanie Dubois and Valerie Tetreault also suffered first round defeats.
Young Russian Dinara Safina launched herself further into the spotlight by capturing her first National Bank Open trophy in her fourth appearance at the event. She capped off a magnificent week by beating Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia in a straight-sets final, 6-2, 6-1. Cara Black and Liezel Huber lived up to their billing as the top doubles pair, beating Maria Kirilenko and Flavia Pennetta in the final. Black and Huber did not drop a set throughout the tournament.
Canadian Results
Stephanie Dubois thrilled the Canadian crowds by advancing to the round of 16. She beat Olga Govortsova in the first round before upsetting No. 13 Maria Kirilenko in a hard-fought, third set tiebreak. Dubois then fell to Jankovic, 6-3, 6-2 in the third round. Aleksandra Wozniak reached the second round by defeating Taipei’s Yung-Jan Chan 6-2, 1-6, 7-5, and then lost to world No. 2 Jelena Jankovic in her second match. Sharon Fichman and Marie-Eve Pelletier both suffered first round defeats.
In what turned out to be her final National Bank Open appearance, Justine Henin made sure that Canadian fans had a lasting image of her holding a championship trophy. The then-top-ranked Belgian put the finishing touches on a near-flawless week of tennis by dispatching Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic 7-6(3), 7-5 in the final. In doubles action, the second-seeded team of Katarina Srebotnik (Slovakia) and Ai Sugiyama (Japan) outlasted the top seeds, Cara Black (Zimbabwe) and Liezel Huber (USA) in a dramatic three-set final.
Canadian Results
A trio of Canadian women reached the second round of the tournament, as Quebec natives Stephanie Dubois, Aleksandra Wozniak, and Marie-Eve Pelletier conquered their respective first round foes. Dubois overcame Ai Sugiyama before falling to No. 6 Nadia Petrova, Wozniak defeated Anastasia Rodionova before succumbing to No. 13 Sybille Bammer, and Pelletier got pas
Serbian Ana Ivanovic earned her first Tier I crown at the 2006 National Bank Open presented by Rogers before going on to win the French Open and attain the No. 1 ranking in 2008. The 20-year old dropped just one set in six matches and clinched the championship with a 6-2, 6-3 triumph over Martina Hingis. In the doubles draw, Martina Navratilova put the finishing touches on a streak of three National Bank Open titles in four years, as she and Nadia Petrova claimed the doubles crown in what turned out to be her final performance on Canadian soil.
Canadian Results
Laval, Quebec native Stephanie Dubois shone in front of her hometown fans, as she reached the third round of the singles draw. The wild card entrant triumphed over Tathiana Garbin and No. 1 seed Kim Clijsters to earn a spot amongst the final 16 before getting eliminated by Katarina Srebotnik. Marie-Eve Pelletier knocked out No. 16 seed and first round opponent Na Li, but was stopped in the second round by Nicole Pratt. Aleksandra Wozniak did not fare as well as her compatriots, dropping her first round contest to Ai Sugiyama.
In what would be her final appearance at Rexall Centre before a brief retirement, Kim Clijsters triumphed in an all-Belgian final over compatriot Justin Henin. Clijsters, who went onto win the U.S. Open later that year, did not drop a set en route to the title. In doubles action, Martina Navratilova earned her fifth of six career National Bank Open doubles titles, and second in what would be a string of three straight. She and partner Anna-Lena Groenefeld capped off their championship run, one which included a win over No. 1 seeds Cara Black and Rennae Stubbs, by defeating Virginia Ruano Pascual and Conchita Martinez in the final.
Canadian Results
Canadians went 0-for-3 in singles play at the National Bank Open. In a trio of first round defeats, Stephanie Dubois could not overcome Antonella Serra Zanetti, Aleksandra Wozniak fell to Shinobu Asagoe, and Marie-Eve Pelletier lost to Maria Vento Kabchi.
Amelie Mauresmo picked up right where she left off in Montreal, taking the National Bank Open crown at STADE IGA for the second time in as many tries. In the final, the Frenchwoman defeated Elena Likhovtseva 6-1, 6-0, tying the National Bank Open record for shortest championship match. Meanwhile, No. 5 seeds Shinobu Asagoe and Ai Sugiyama earned their first doubles title together at the event, clinching the crown with a victory over Liezel Huber and Tamarine Tanasugarn in the final.
Canadian Results
A trio of Canadian wild cards came up empty in the first round of the event, as Marie-Eve Pelletier, Maureen Drake, and Aleksandra Wozniak all fell to their opening round foes. Pelletier fell victim to No. 11 Francesca Schiavone in straight sets, while lost to No. 12 Karolina Sprem and Shinobu Asagoe moved on at the expense of Wozniak.
2003 Highlights
It was a week to remember for Justine Henin at the 2003 National Bank Open, as the talented Belgian dropped only one set en route to her first of two titles in Canada. The third seed put the finishing touches on the championship with a victory over Lina Krasnoroutskaya, who had previously upset top-seeded Kim Clijsters earlier in the week. In doubles, it was the star-studded tandem of Svetlana Kuznetsova and Martina Navratilova that willed their way through the draw towards championship glory. The fourth-seeded duo topped Maria Vento-Kabchi and Angelique Widjaja in a three-set final.
Canadian Results
Marie-Eve Pelletier, Melanie Marois, Maureen Drake, and Beier Ko all performed well in losing efforts in first round action. Pelletier took Mashona Washington to the limit before falling in three sets, and Marois made her opponent, Emilie Loit, earn a spot in the second round in a three set opener. Drake and Ko, meanwhile, lost in straight sets to Jill Craybas and Nicole Pratt, respectively.
Amelie Mauresmo claimed her first of two National Bank Open titles at Montreal`s STADE IGA without dropping a set along the way. The No. 7 seed capped off a tremendous week by defeating No. 2 Jennifer Capriati, who was making her second consecutive appearance in the final at the event, in the tournament final. A second seed fared better in the doubles draw, as Virginia Ruano Pascual and Paola Suarez earned some hardware when they bested Rika Fujiwara and Ai Sugiyama for the pairs title.
Canadian Results
Maureen Drake and Jana Nejedly, the lone Canadians in the singles draw, were turned away in their efforts to progress beyond the first round at the event. Drake fell in straight sets to No. 10 seed Silvia Farina Elia and Nejedly was unable to claim victory in her first round encounter with qualifier Sarah Taylor.
In what was a banner week for the United States at the National Bank Open in Toronto, Serena Williams prevailed to win her only title at the Canadian event to date. Williams, the event’s fourth seed, pounded her way through a draw that included three American semifinalists and triumphed over Jennifer Capriati in an all-US final. Kimberly Po-Messerli continued the pattern of American dominance, as she and Australian partner Nicole Pratt topped Tina Krizan and Katarina Srebotnik in the final to earn the doubles title.
Canadian Results
The Canadian trio of Maureen Drake, Jana Nejedly, and Vanessa Webb came up empty in their respective bids to reach the second round of the main draw. Drake fell to Evie Dominikovic, Nejedly lost to No. 16 Chanda Rubin, and Webb was eliminated by Marianna Diaz-Oliva.
Swiss Miss Martina Hingis claimed the first National Bank Open singles title of the new millennia. The world’s top-ranked player came from behind to defeat a hobbled Serena Williams in three sets for her second trophy in as many years at the event. Hingis also came away with a share of the doubles championship, thanks to her triumph alongside partner Nathalie Tauziat.
Canadian Results
Jana Nejedly ensured that there would be Canadian representation among the final 32 women in the singles draw, as she reached the second round of the event. Nejedly overcame Samantha Reeves in the first round, only to fall to Kveta Hrdlickova one round later. In other Canadian action, Vanessa Webb could not get past her opening round opponent, Virginia Ruano-Pascual, and Sonya Jeyaseelan was dispatched by Magdalena Maleeva.
1999 Highlights
World No. 1 Martina Hingis announced her presence in Toronto by putting an end to Monica Seles’ four-year championship reign at the National Bank Open. Hingis won her first of two titles at the tournament by overcoming Seles in the final. The doubles crown, meanwhile, was claimed by the duo of Jana Novotna and Mary Pierce.
Canadian Results
In her National Bank Open debut, Renata Kolbovic earned a spot in the second round after beating Marlene Weingartner. However, she was subsequently sent packing when she fell to No. 9 Barbara Schett. Joining Kolbovic in the second round was Maureen Drake, who earned her main draw spot through qualifying and went onto defeat Anne Kremer in the first round. However, she could not continue her success against second round opponent and No. 15 seed Elena Likhovtseva. Canadian first round casualties included Sonya Jeyaseelan (lost to Ai Sugiyama) and Jana Nejedly (lost to No. 12 Dominique Van Roost).
1998 Highlights
In what would be her final National Bank Open singles crown, Monica Seles managed yet another stunning performance on Canadian soil. Seles clinched her fourth consecutive title with a victory over Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in the tournament final. Martina Hingis reached the championship podium for the first time in Canada, pairing with Jana Novotna to win the doubles title.
Canadian Results
Sonya Jeyaseelan reached the second round for the second straight year, defeating Nicole Pratt before falling to No. 9 seed Irina Spirlea. The only other Canadian in main draw singles action was Vanessa Webb, who fell to Anke Huber in the first round.
1997 Highlights
The Seles Express continued to roll along at the National Bank Open, as Monica Seles added a third consecutive title to her collection. Seles secured the championship with a win over Anke Huber in the final. In doubles action, it was Yayuk Basuki and Caroline Vis who stood alone as champions at the end of the week.
Canadian Results
Sonya Jeyaseelan earned her first career victory at the National Bank Open, using momentum gained from two wins the qualifying draw to defeat Meike Babel. Her successful run ended one round later against No. 6 Mary Pierce. Meanwhile, in her final appearance at the event, Patricia Hy-Boulais fell to Sabine Applemans in the first round.
1996 Highlights
Monica Seles made it two in a row at the National Bank Open, continuing her strong run from the previous year to claim the singles championship. She clinched the title with a win over Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in the final. The tournament was not a complete loss for Sanchez-Vicario, as she and partner Larisa Neiland earned the doubles crown.
Canadian Results
Sonya Jeyaseelan joined fellow Canadian main draw entrants Rene Collins, Patricia Hy-Boulais, Jana Nejedly, and Cristina Popescu by earning her spot through qualifying. However, all four women fell in the first round of main draw action. Jeyaseelan could not overcome No. 9 seed Gabriela Sabatini, Collins fell to Sandrine Testud in her National Bank Open swan song, Hy lost to Ann Grossman, Nejedly came up short against Lisa Raymond, and Popescu could not handle Kimberly Po.
1995 Highlights
It was a fairytale-like return to competitive tennis for Monica Seles, who won her first tournament after two years away from the WTA Tour. Seles put an exclamation point on her championship run by dominating Amanda Coetzer 6-0, 6-1 in the final. Also raising a trophy at the event were doubles champions Brenda Schultz-McCarthy and Gabriela Sabatini.
Canadian Results
Patricia Hy-Boulais and Jana Nejedly each enjoyed a run to the second round of the tournament, while Vanessa Webb made some noise in the qualifying draw. Hy defeated Natalia Baudone in the first round before falling to Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in the second. Meanwhile, Nejedly earned her first National Bank Open win at the expense of Tami Jones, but then lost in the second round to Irina Spirlea. Webb fell to eventual finalist Amanda Coetzer in the opening round, but worked her way into the main draw through qualifying.
1994 Highlights
In a dramatic National Bank Open final, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario earned her second title at the event. Sanchez-Vicario outlasted fellow finalist Steffi Graf by beating her in a third set tie-break to claim the championship trophy. Sanchez-Vicario also found success in the doubles draw, teaming with Meredith McGrath to take home the crown.
Canadian Results
None of Jana Nejedly, Sonya Jeyaseelan, Patricia Hy-Boulais, or Rene Collins could reach the second round of the event. In her National Bank Open debut, Nejedly was eliminated by Leila Meshki, while Jeyaseelan was beaten by Nathale Baudone-Furlan, Hy was sent packing by Yayuk Basuki, and Collins lost to Petra Ritter.
1993 Highlights
Steffi Graf asserted her place atop women’s tennis with her singles title win. The world’s No. 1 player put the finishing touches on her second National Bank Open championship by beating Jennifer Capriati in the three-set final. Jana Novotna, pairing with Larisa Neiland, took home her first of three doubles titles at the event.
Canadian Results
Helen Kelesi and Patricia Hy-Boulais each reached the second round of play at the tournament, while Maureen Drake and Rene Collins fell in the first round. Kelesi bade farewell to the National Bank Open by beating Pascale Paradis-Mangon and subsequently falling to Amanda Coetzer. Hy topped Elena Brioukhovets, but then went onto lose to Naoko Sawamatsu. Drake and Collins lost to Ginger Nielsen and Leila Meskhi, respectively.
1992 Highlights
Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario claimed her first National Bank Open title, becoming the first Spanish woman to win the event. The Barcelona Bumblebee earned the trophy with a hard-fought, three-set win over Monica Seles in the final. The doubles draw saw the team of Lori McNeil and Rennae Stubbs reign supreme for their first title together.
Canadian Results
Patricia Hy-Boulais gave Canadian fans plenty to cheer about with her run to the quarter-finals of the event. She defeated Kathy Rinaldi, Rita Hiraki, and Katerina Maleeva to set up a showdown with Seles, which she ultimately lost. Helen Kelesi reached the second round of play, thanks to a win over Andrea Temesvari-Trankos, before getting eliminated by Nathalie Tauziat. Other Canadians competing in the main draw included Rene Collins, Sonya Jeyaseelan, Maureen Drake, and Vanessa Webb, all of whom lost in the first round.
1991 Highlights
Jennifer Capriati won her first and only National Bank Open crown while also reaching her first of four finals at the event. Capriati secured her title with a win over Katerina Maleeva, who fell just short of a championship for the second consecutive year, in the singles final. She was joined atop the podium by doubles champions Larisa Savchenko and Natasha Zvereva.
Canadian Results
Helen Kelesi, Rene Collins, and Patricia Hy-Boulais all advanced past the first round of the event, including Kelesi’s run to the third round. Kelesi bested compatriot Melanie Bedard and Kimiko Date before falling to Gabriela Sabatini, while Collins topped Akiko Kijimuta before running into Regina Rajchrtova and Hy got past Sandra Dopfer, only to come up short against Natalia Zvereva. Maureen Drake and Sonya Jeyaseelan both lost in first round contests.
1990 Highlights
Steffi Graf enjoyed a breakout performance at National Bank Open, overwhelming the rest of the field with her power en route to the championship. In order to win the title, Graf had to tough out a three-set final against Katerina Maleeva. Gabriela Sabatini and Betsy Nagelsen also enjoyed a week of stellar play, as they wrapped up the doubles crown.
Canadian Results
Two Canadians found themselves among the final 16 players in the tournament, as Patricia Hy-Boulais and Helen Kelesi reached the third round. Hy beat Claudia Chabalgoity and Claudia Porwik before falling at the hands of Nathalie Tauziat, and Kelesi worked her way past Carrie Cunningham and Anne Minter before bowing out to Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere. Other homegrown talents in the draw included Rene Collins and Jill Hetherington, who both lost in the first round.