Appreciating the positives of the tournament has to be the right approach for these pages, but back to back days having players in winning positions only to have the opponent withdraw mid-match is a blow.
The numbers would have been very, very good if both Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Marta Kostyuk had completed their matches, even from a tough position, but that is just the way it goes.
Fortunately the selections around those Picks have come in as winners and that has eased the frustration- those retirements hurt a lot more when they have left just losing selections, meaning a dip in the numbers rather than just missing out on more additions.
The Semi Final lineup at both events in Montreal and Toronto will be completed on Tuesday as we fast approach the rare Thursday Final.
On the same day, the First Round at the next Masters event in Cincinnati will have begun, while those making the Final in the Canadian Masters are expected to be in action over the weekend. It is far from ideal, but the positives is that there is momentum behind those still involved this side of the North American border and the US Open is now two and a half weeks from getting underway.
Both Men's Quarter Final matches look difficult to pick on Tuesday, but the underdogs may show a bit of bite in the Women's tournament in Montreal.
Naomi Osaka + 2.5 games v Elina Svitolina: There is no doubt that Naomi Osaka would have recognised how tough her return to the Tour would be, but over eighteen months have passed and some will perhaps be disappointed by the fact she is lingering on the edges of the top 50 in the World Rankings.
That will change thanks to her run to the Quarter Final of the Canadian Masters with Osaka provisionally at around World Number 34, but the focus will be on trying to win a first title on the hard courts since winning the Australian Open in 2021.
Four Grand Slams have been secured, but Naomi Osaka has not made the second week of a Major since returning and a lot of her career has felt like 'all or nothing'. For example, Naomi Osaka has not made the Quarter Final at any Grand Slam that she has not gone on to win.
Her Quarter Final opponent, Elina Svitolina, may serve as something of an inspiration as to what is possible for a mother returning to the Tour. While Osaka has struggled for consistency, Elina Svitolina is the World Number 13 and a player who has reached the Quarter Final or better in half of the ten Grand Slam events played since returning to action.
The run to the last eight in Montreal will not improve the World Ranking, but winning the title here would push Elina Svitolina back into the top ten and give her a lot of confidence in her bid to win a maiden Grand Slam title at the upcoming US Open.
She has been in solid form in her three wins and beating Amanda Anisimova in straight sets will provide a boost.
Naomi Osaka has had to start a little earlier and so has won four matches to reach the Quarter Final, while her own performances have been very solid.
The key is going to be to serve as well as possible and try and avoid getting drawn into the longer rallies where Elina Svitolina's movement can help turn defence into attack very quickly. You also have to assume that Naomi Osaka is going to lose the majority of longer rallies and so it is key to get on the front foot and dictate the terms of this match.
That was the case when Naomi Osaka beat Elina Svitolina in Miami last year, although it was a competitive match with very little separating them on the day. It was the Osaka serve that delivered the advantages in favour of the former World Number 1 and she has been playing well enough to win a set, which may in turn be enough to cover as the underdog, even if ultimately it is the higher Ranked player who finds a way to reach the Semi Final.
Clara Tauson v Madison Keys: The history books will only state who won a Grand Slam title and the manner will long be forgotten, but it is pretty clear that Madison Keys is still operating on pretty fine margins on the hard courts. Back in Melbourne, she won a number of very close matches that could easily have swung away from her, but the American is very comfortable on the hard courts and has won another title outside of the Australian Open, as well as reaching the Quarter Final and Semi Final at Masters level events.
With that in mind, Madison Keys will be playing with plenty of confidence even if her last two wins here in Montreal have been far from convincing.
She has needed three sets in the last two Rounds to overcome Caty McNally and Karolina Muchova, and the concern for fans of Madison Keys is that she is not looking like a player peaking towards the end of the tournament.
At the Australian Open, Madison Keys was pretty steady with her performances even if there were some very close wins in her run to a surprising Grand Slam success. However, the numbers have dipped in each match played in Montreal and now Madison Keys has to try and hold off a confident youngster who just beat the Wimbledon Champion in the Fourth Round.
Clara Tauson has long been seen as a player with a huge amount of potential and she is set to improve on her career best World Ranking mark of Number 19, which was set in July.
She has just toughed out a win over Iga Swiatek, which will give Clara Tauson a lot of confidence after crushing her first two opponents without much resistance. The 22 year old won the title in Auckland in the build towards the Australian Open, but it has been a season where Clara Tauson may have expected more from herself on this surface, at least before she arrived in Montreal.
Having an impact at one of the big Masters events prior to the US Open beginning will really help Clara Tauson and the first serve can be a particularly strong weapon for her on the hard courts.
We have seen that in her three wins this week, but Clara Tauson has perhaps impressed even more with the way she has been seeing the ball on the return. Facing the Madison Keys first serve will be challenging, but Tauson may believe that she can be plenty aggressive against the second and her performances suggest she is a real threat to pull the upset.
That was the case when the pair met earlier in the year in Auckland and it was Clara Tauson who protected her second serve with much more success compared with the American.
Playing after an upset can be tough for players on the Tour, but Clara Tauson is experienced enough and this has the makings of a competitive Quarter Final. The underdog is perhaps been underestimated and Clara Tauson has every chance of securing a second outright win over Madison Keys.
MY PICKS: Naomi Osaka + 2.5 Games @ 1.83 William Hill (1 Unit)
Clara Tauson @ 2.10 William Hill (1 Unit)
Weekly Update: 11-4, + 5.06 Units (15 Units Staked, + 33.73% Yield)
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