(Montreal) Jessica Pegula is the new National Bank Open champion. In a one-sided final that lasted just 49 minutes, the third-ranked player in the world got the better of Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova 6-1, 6-0.
Without being flamboyant, Pegula played with consistency and confidence to clinch her first triumph of 2023 and her third career.
Samsonova was never in the game. In his defense, the 18e world was playing a second match against a player from the top 5 in just a few hours. Her semi-final against Elena Rybakina took place before the final; it could not be played on Saturday due to weather conditions.
The first round went quickly, Pegula being more lively and precise than his opponent from the start. The 29-year-old American broke Samsonova easily twice.
The Russian took a short break between the two runs. Back on serve, she took a 40-0 lead before watching Pegula claim the next five points to break again.
Samsonova tried a few attacks in the second set, but each time Pegula had an answer. The latter spun to victory without any difficulty.
It’s the fastest final on the WTA Tour since Iga Swiatek’s victory over Karolina Pliskova in Rome in May 2021, excluding matches that ended in retirement. Swiatek had the upper hand 6-0, 6-0 in 46 minutes.
More details to come.
