Cincinnati Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Sunday 16th August)

It proved to be a positive start to the Cincinnati Masters for the selections being made on these pages, although it is a shame that a couple more winners were not found on the day.

A rain delay allowed Elena Gabriela Ruse the time to think about her ankle issue and she decided not to come back out on the court with Alexandra Eala three games away from the win- if that match had been allowed to continue without the delay, the expectation is that Ruse would have finished it on the court.

Later in the evening, Alexander Zverev had enough Break Point chances to beat Cameron Norrie with a slightly stronger result and that makes it a frustration he was not quite able to cover the handicap mark as he eventually fell one game short.

Fortunately the majority of the opening Picks returned as hoped and that does give us something to build upon as this last big tournament before the US Open continues over the next several days.

However, it should be remembered that it is only a start and there is still a lot of work to do in order to finish the event with a positive number and momentum to take into New York City.

It has been a busier weekend than expected with the heat continuing to rise in the United Kingdom.

There should be fuller threads with analysis in the days ahead, but the Cincinnati Masters Tennis Picks for Sunday can be seen in the MY PICKS section below with the updated tournament totals.

Selections have been researched, but time constraints have impacted the thread in terms of the analysis usually provided with those that have made the criteria.

MY PICKS: Lorenzo Musetti - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Arthur Rinderknech - 2.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Taylor Fritz-Alex Michelsen Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Learner Tien - 4.5 Games @ 2.05 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Aryna Sabalenka - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Leylah Fernandez - 2.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Coco Gauff - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Cincinnati Update: 5-2, + 2.31 Units (7 Units Staked, + 33% Yield)

Cincinnati Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Saturday 15th August)

The Cincinnati Masters was beginning at the same time as the Canadian Masters was coming to a conclusion and the decision was made to skip the First Round at this next 1000 event and then get back into the preparation for the US Open once the Seeded players entered the tournament.

On Saturday, those Seeded players are getting their tournaments underway in both ATP and WTA events being played here over the next week.

Most of the top names will be looking to lay down a marker for the US Open, but conditions in Cincinnati tend to be faster than most during this portion of the hard court season and so it is a challenge for all competing right after the tournaments in Canada.

Despite that, players will not be looking to make excuses, but instead show they are ready to compete at the last Grand Slam of the season, which is getting underway at the end of the month.

Alexandra Eala - 3.5 games v Elena Gabriela Ruse: After winning the title in Washington, Alexandra Eala put together a decent run in Toronto at the Canadian Masters, but looked like she was running on fumes by the end of her time at that event.

The Fourth Round loss would not have been easily accepted, but it has given Eala a bit of time to rest and recover before taking in this next WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati.

This is the last tournament Alexandra Eala is going to be taking in before the US Open and so she can put everything into matches on the court as she continues to grow on the Tour.

Recent performances will have done Alexandra Eala the world of good and she is expected to have too much for Elena Gabriela Ruse who has struggled when asked to play some of the stronger players on the Tour, especially on the hard courts.

A First Round win will have given Elena Gabriela Ruse a boost, but it has been a season of inconsistency in the hard court results being produced. Credit has to be given to the World Number 77 for winning matches that she will feel she should, but Ruse has a 2-6 record when it come sto facing top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts.

The second serve numbers and those on the return of serve have taken a serious dent in those tougher matches and Alexandra Eala will feel she can exploit those in this Second Round meeting.

Two years ago, Elena Gabriela Ruse beat Alexandra Eala in the final Qualifying Round at the US Open when both were Ranked outside of the top 100.

It was Ruse who was Ranked the higher of the two in the match and she held a Seeded place in the Qualifying draw, but Alexandra Eala is much more experienced now and can record a strong win in her opening match in Cincinnati in 2026.

Amanda Anisimova - 5.5 games v Zeynep Sonmez: Last year, Amanda Anisimova made little impact at the Canadian and Cincinnati WTA 1000 events, but that did not stop her from reaching the US Open Final.

However, Amanda Anisimova had already reached the Wimbledon Final in 2025 and so her confidence would have been in a stronger place than it perhaps is right now.

It has been a decent year all the same, but not with the standout results that the American put on the board last year.

Despite that, Amanda Anisimova has shown time and time again that she can roll through the gears when facing opponents Ranked outside of the elite players and she is facing one of those in Zeynep Sonmez on Saturday in the Second Round.

Credit has to be given to any player who has one main draw win under the belt already, but Zeynep Sonmez has really struggled when she has stepped up a level and that has been reflected in some of the scores produced in her hard court matches in 2026. She will need to serve well to try and put Amanda Anismova under some pressure, but the World Number 10 should be able to contain much of the threat on the other side of the court with her own serve.

It is the higher Ranked player who has the heavier groundstrokes and that can see Amanda Anisimova push through to the Third Round.

MY PICKS: Alexandra Eala - 3.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Amanda Anisimova - 5.5 Games @ 2.05 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Maria Sakkari - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Diana Shnaider - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Novak Djokovic - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Tommy Paul-Hubert Hurkacz Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jiri Lehecka-Matteo Berrettini Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (1 Unit)

Season 2026: 205-175, + 6.95 Units (565 Units Staked, + 1.23% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 12th August)

The Canadian Masters could see some more delays if the weather does not play ball, but there looks to be enough of a window to ensure all four Semi Final matches are completed across Montreal and Toronto.

A couple of solid days have pushed the overall Canadian Masters record close to a positive position, but Wednesday is the key to the final outcome.

Iga Swiatek - 3.5 games v Elina Svitolina: The Ranking has dropped to Number 8 and that is largely down to a difficult year in which Iga Swiatek has struggled to reach the very end of tournaments.

On Wednesday in Toronto, Iga Swiatek is playing in just her second Semi Final of 2026 and the former World Number 1 has yet to make the Final, never mind win a title, this season.

There has been little wrong with the hard court numbers produced by Iga Swiatek, but a slight drop in consistency within tournaments has proved to be fatal to her chances of picking up more titles.

This week Iga Swiatek has been in fine form in Toronto and her performance in the Quarter Final was really impressive. It is no surprise that she has been set as the favourite in this Semi Final, although the last time she made this stage of any tournament, it was ended by Elina Svitolina who is the opponent standing across the net at this WTA 1000 event.

For the second time in four wins, Elina Svitolina had to win a deciding set, but she did dominate the last couple of sets against Ekaterina Alexandrova. This should mean she is not taxed as much as some three set matches will do to a player, but Svitolina may have to find a bit more if she is going to beat Iga Swiatek for a third time in a row in 2026.

Both wins have been in a third set decider with one win coming on a hard court and the other on a clay court.

Elina Svitolina should be plenty confident and she may feel she is getting a bit more out of the serve in this tournament to put the pressure on Iga Swiatek.

However, it is the Pole who has been producing the superior returning and that may prove to be the key in the conditions expected on Wednesday.

The two wins produced by Elina Svitolina over Iga Swiatek this year have to be considered- however, both have been in close matches and the level being put together by Swiatek here in Toronto may mean she can just turn those fine inches in her favour.

We should see a closely contested Semi Final, but one in which Iga Swiatek may have enough to edge past the handicap set in a winning effort.

Coco Gauff - 1.5 games v Elena Rybakina: It is very surprising to note that this is going to be only the second time Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina are playing one another on the Tour.

The previous meeting was back in 2022 here in Toronto and was won by Coco Gauff, but it should also be stated she was a top 10 Ranked player at that time and Elena Rybakina was outside of the top 20.

In 2026, Rybakina is the higher Ranked player with both amongst the favourites to win at the US Open next month, but Coco Gauff may have the edge in this Semi Final.

Not only has Coco Gauff been playing at a really high level, but she has been cruising through the Rounds and did not have to step out on the court in the Quarter Final having been awarded a walkover by Belinda Bencic's withdrawal. She has not played for a few days, but that should be a refreshed Gauff is going onto the court and one that has already won three matches here to build up rhythm.

Elena Rybakina came through a really tough test against Naomi Osaka and is back on court less than twenty-four hours later and that has to have an impact here.

If she had won in routine fashion, it would be one thing, but Rybakina spent over two and a half hours on the court and that is the third time in four matches that she had to invest that much energy into a match. Previously she had a day of rest between outings, but the World Number 2 will not have had the same time to prepare for this Semi Final and Elena Rybakina could struggle against an opponent that loves to dig in and extend rallies, games, sets and matches.

The edge on the serve is with Elena Rybakina, but Coco Gauff is a very solid return player and could extend the World Number 2 for long enough to eventually overwhelm her as physical and mental energy runs out.

Rafael Jodar-Brandon Nakashima over 0.5 tie-breakers: Both of these players are breaking new ground this week as they prepare for a maiden Masters Semi Final appearance and there is going to be plenty of confidence to take into the US Open beginning later in the month.

Rafael Jodar and Brandon Nakashima both played well in Washington before running into Taylor Fritz with the former losing in the Final and the latter in the Semi Final.

They have used that success to carry things forward in Canada and both came through Quarter Final matches in straight sets.

Brandon Nakashima has been much more reliant on the serve and that proved to be the key shot when things got a little tight in the second set of his Quarter Final win over Luciano Darderi.

He will need to be at his best with that shot considering how well Rafael Jodar has been returning throughout his time in Montreal- the teenager has broken in 46% of return games played, which is a remarkable success on a hard court.

However, Rafael Jodar has been a little looser on the serve and that will give Brandon Nakashima encouragement considering how well he has been seeing the ball at this tournament.

The season return numbers on the hard courts has been an area where the World Number 31 could improve, but he has done that in Montreal with 29% of return games ending in a break of serve (17% for the season on this surface) and Nakashima is winning 41% of return points played compared with 34% for the year.

Confidence will not be lacking from either side and it would not be a surprise if the two players have to be separated by a key tie-breaker at some point in this Semi Final. The layers give Rafael Jodar plenty of respect, but Brandon Nakashima is a confident hard court player and it could be more competitive than some may anticipate.

Learner Tien-Ben Shelton over 0.5 tie-breakers: This is the third time these two compatriots will be meeting on the Tour and Ben Shelton has surprisingly lost both times against Learner Tien. One of those was on the grass courts, but he was also beaten at Indian Wells back in March and the World Number 10 will be looking for some revenge.

Ben Shelton is the defending Champion at the Canadian Masters and his run here means he is doing a good job at clinging onto a top 10 spot in the World Rankings.

However, a defeat and a win for Rafael Jodar in the other Semi Final would mean Ben Shelton is going to fall out of those positions when the next World Rankings are released soon after the conclusion of the tournament here in Montreal.

This could be another distraction, but Ben Shelton should only be thinking about Learner Tien who would finish in the top 10 if he can win the tournament this week.

No matter what happens on Wednesday, Learner Tien is about to set a new career high World Ranking mark to move inside the top 15 for the first time and he is playing with real belief. The serve will need to be improved if he is going to beat Ben Shelton for a third time as Learner Tien has struggled behind that shot during his run to the Semi Final, but he has been playing the big points pretty well and Tien's return game has been the key to his success.

Overall he is a better server than he has shown here and Learner Tien will be encouraged by the way he has imposed that shot on Ben Shelton.

The higher Ranked American has been in really strong form here this week though and it makes Ben Shelton very dangerous- his serve is always a big weapon, but Shelton has found a clear formula on the return of serve and that has meant breaking in 36% of return games played, which is more than double his usual level on the hard courts in 2026.

Ben Shelton had those chances to break the Learner Tien serve when they met in Indian Wells, but the latter has shown he can roll through the pressurised moments and it would not be a surprise if they need to compete in at least one tie-breaker again.

That has happened in both previous matches between the compatriots on the Tour and it looks like a real possibility in this match, which may feature more breaks of serve than would usually be expected from a Ben Shelton match.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Coco Gauff - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Rafael Jodar-Brandon Nakashima Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Learner Tien-Ben Shelton Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Canadian Masters: 17-15, - 1.03 Units (32 Units Staked, - 3.22% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Tuesday 11th August)

Rain wiped out the play scheduled for the ATP Montreal tournament on Monday and that means one of the selections had to be held over- Brandon Nakashima and Luciano Darderi are scheduled to go out first on Tuesday on a day when all four Quarter Final matches should be completed with better conditions expected.

It may not have rained in Toronto, but it has been tough conditions for players there with the wind picking up and making things difficult.

Despite that, one Semi Final is ready to go and the last four will be completed when the last two Quarter Final matches are played.

The next couple of days look wetter again, but the tournaments should be on schedule to finish as expected with the windows available through the day and especially as Tuesday looks like a day in which all of the Quarter Finals remaining should be completed.

Coco Gauff - 2.5 games v Belinda Bencic: Big names have begun to drop out of the WTA Toronto tournament, but that does allow those remaining to make a statement ahead of the US Open.

A former US Open Champion faces a former US Open Semi Finalist in this Canadian Masters Quarter Final and both Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic have to be feeling like they have all of the qualities needed to win the final Grand Slam of the season.

Negotiating the early Rounds at the Grand Slam events can be difficult, even for the top players, but both Gauff and Bencic have impressed here.

The numbers produced in the three wins here back that up- Belinda Bencic has the highest Ranking win, but Coco Gauff has had to navigate a tougher draw, but that should not impact the belief that both will bring into the match.

Coco Gauff has won six of the previous eight matches between the players, including the last four in a row, although the former will very much respect what Bencic brings to the court solely by how competitive previous matches have been.

The last three wins have all been earned in a deciding set and that will underline how tough this match up can be.

However, Coco Gauff has shown time and time again that she can come through those pressurised deciders and not just in wins over Belinda Bencic- this makes her very tough to beat and especially on a hard court and the World Number 4 can edge this contest.

The Gauff second serve is a concern, but she has been the stronger return player and that may end up being the difference between these two players in a good looking Quarter Final.

Naomi Osaka-Elena Rybakina over 22.5 games: Before leaving the Tour to become a mother, Naomi Osaka was the top hard court player in the world and there are real signs that she is getting back towards her best form on the surface.

For the second year in a row, Naomi Osaka is loving her time in Canada and this looks like a Quarter Final in which she can lay down a marker for the US Open that begins later in the month.

Winning the tournament would be the ultimate statement, but beating Elena Rybakina, the Australian Open Champion, would really lay down the gauntlet to the other top players on the Tour.

Naomi Osaka has produced some really strong numbers here and it is no surprise that she has been set as the favourite, albeit an incredibly narrow one.

The serve has always been a big shot for Naomi Osaka, but she has improved on those numbers and, most importantly, has found a really good formula for attacking on the return. Those numbers have been the issue for Naomi Osaka on the hard courts since taking her place back on the Tour, but the World Number 13 has been winning 47% of those points at this tournament and that will place a lot of pressure on her opponents.

Elena Rybakina is a steady force on the surface.

She has a very good serve for the hard courts, but much like Naomi Osaka, the World Number 2 has found her feet on the return on the Toronto courts and that has seen her win 46% of return points played compared with the 42% mark she has for the season.

Both players are still going to be looking to back up strong serving in what is the first meeting on the Tour between these big hitters.

It would not be a big surprise if we need a deciding set, but both Naomi Osaka and Elena Rybakina are capable of putting together two competitive sets, which may be enough to cover this total games line.

MY PICKS: Coco Gauff - 2.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Naomi Osaka-Elena Rybakina Over 22.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Canadian Masters: 15-15, - 2.83 Units (30 Units Staked, - 9.43% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Monday 10th August)

The Canadian Masters is winding down, but these pages are still looking for a strong end to the tournament to try and restrict some of the early damage absorbed at the tournament.

A winning day was produced thanks to Jakub Mensik's late recovery in the second set of his straight sets win to back up Ben Shelton's success earlier in the day.

However, it was not quite the clean sweep that was hoped for after beginning the day with Tallon Griekspoor's surprisingly one-sided defeat.

The Quarter Finals begin on Monday with the tournaments in Montreal and Toronto still scheduled to be concluded on Thursday, while the Cincinnati Masters is set to begin with First Round action on the same day.

However, the focus right now has to be on the conclusion of the Canadian Masters, even if the Monday action looks tough to call and with one only Pick made that can be read below.

Brandon Nakashima - 3.5 games v Luciano Darderi: Both of these players have shown considerable character to make their way through to the Quarter Final at the Canadian Masters.

Both Luciano Darderi and Brandon Nakashima have come through consecutive matches by winning a deciding set, while the former has twice been able to recover from dropping the opening set.

Despite the run, you cannot ignore the fact that Luciano Darderi has struggled for consistency on the hard courts and he has benefited from a kind draw that has meant beating two players Ranked outside the top 100 before the win over Nuno Borges in the Fourth Round.

Brandon Nakashima does hold a win over a fellow Seed here in Montreal, which means he has the best win on the record, while the American has been producing stronger numbers of these two Quarter Finalists at this tournament.

Those could be the key in this Quarter Final and Brandon Nakashima has beaten Luciano Darderi once before on the hard courts.

It was a victory earned on an indoor hard court at the back end of the 2025 season and Nakashima was the much stronger server in that match.

He can show that superiority again in this match and Brandon Nakashima has been in good form on the return of serve this week to believe he can cover this handicap.

MY PICKS: Brandon Nakashima - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Canadian Masters: 15-15, - 2.83 Units (30 Units Staked, - 9.43% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Sunday 9th August)

The Canadian Masters will have the entire Quarter Final lineup settled by the end of play on Sunday as the Fourth Round comes to a conclusion.

Weather conditions have been pretty difficult for the players and that has led to a number of surprise results.

The ATP tournament always felt wide open after the withdrawals before the event even began, but the early defeat suffered by Alexander Zverev means this is a Masters tournament that is filled with opportunity for those remaining.

It has been a different story in Toronto where the WTA tournament is being played and where the big stars have come through a couple of Rounds.

This means the tournament is set up to give us an early look at some of the potential US Open Champions, although the focus right now has to be on winning one of the big tournaments outside of the Grand Slams.

Tallon Griekspoor v Daniel Merida Aguilar: Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz all announced they would be missing the Canadian Masters for various reasons and Alexander Zverev has been beaten before the tournament has really gotten going.

All of this means a big opportunity has opened up for someone to pick up a big title and it really does feel like the ATP event in Montreal is wide open.

Tallon Griekspoor is the reason that the draw has opened up thanks to his upset win over Zverev and he has been able to back that up by moving through to the Fourth Round. He fought through some difficult moments to win in the Third Round and Griekspoor will have taken plenty of confidence out of that performance to follow up the win over Alexander Zverev.

Next up is a young Spaniard who has put together a very good tournament.

Daniel Merida Aguilar has had a decent year on the hard courts, but has really impressed over the last week and the World Number 63 is set for another jump in the World Ranking. A new career high mark is going to be set, regardless of when this tournament run comes to a conclusion, and Merida Aguilar can play with some freedom.

The serve still needs some developing on the hard courts, but Daniel Merida Aguilar has been very effective on the return and that could make him dangerous.

However, Tallon Griekspoor has found his rhythm on the return at this tournament and he should be able to put some pressure on the younger player in what is likely another competitive match.

Overall, it is the lower Ranked player who has impressed the most here in Montreal and Tallon Griekspoor also has the best win on the record- he may just be able to find his best tennis when he needs it the most and that can see him come through a Fourth Round match that is likely going to be decided by the fine margins.

Jakub Mensik - 3.5 games v Botic van de Zandschulp: The run to the French Open Semi Final was the full breakthrough on the Tour for Jakub Mensik, but it should be remembered that he as won a Masters tournament on the hard courts of Miami last year.

There is a lot of encouraging signs around the development of Jakub Mensik and he will certainly feel he has every chance of winning a second Masters considering the absence of so many big names.

The serve has been a big weapon this week, as it usually is for Jakub Mensik, but the really eye-catching part of his performances has been the quality of return produced.

It should be good enough to put Botic van de Zandschulp under pressure, although the World Number 70 will have taken a huge amount of heart from beating Daniil Medvedev and Hubert Hurkacz. Both of those opponents had gotten the better of van de Zandschulp in previous matches on the Tour and so those wins here in Montreal should have given the veteran a boost in confidence, as well as pushing him back up the World Rankings.

Botic van de Zandschulp has played well this week, but the returning numbers will be hard to maintain against a server like this one.

The Dutchman is winning 60% of his service points, which will give him a chance to stay in the match, although Jakub Mensik is expected to have enough success on the return to cover the handicap mark here.

Ben Shelton v Joao Fonseca: The early defeats at both Masters events in Indian Wells and Miami and the Quarter Final loss in Washington last week will have been a disappointment for Ben Shelton, but he is the defending Champion of the Canadian Masters. He has shown that he is not going to give up this trophy easily after two very strong wins, while Ben Shelton may feel like the favourite considering the top Ranked players that will not be competing in the coming days.

This may be one of the tougher challenges against Joao Fonseca.

The talented youngster will be aiming to finish within the top 20 of the World Rankings at the end of the season and Joao Fonseca is expected to be Seeded at the US Open, which will give him a chance to push towards those positions.

However, Joao Fonseca has yet to find the consistency on the hard courts that some may have expected- at his best, he can be very tough to deal with, but Fonseca has not played as much tennis on this surface in 2026 as he may have expected.

Wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud show the kind of level that Joao Fonseca can produce, but Ben Shelton has already gotten the better of this opponent on the European clay courts.

That should be a surface that favours Fonseca more than Shelton, but the latter had the superior serve and that is expected to be the case on a hard court in North America.

A deciding third set may be needed, but Ben Shelton looks like he deserves a stronger edge in the outright market to move through to another Quarter Final at the Canadian Masters.

MY PICKS: Tallon Griekspoor @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jakub Mensik - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ben Shelton @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Canadian Masters: 13-14, - 3.46 Units (27 Units Staked, - 12.81% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Saturday 8th August)

It continues to be a frustrating week filled with selections that have been on the edge of stringing the wins together, but ultimately finding a way to come up short.

That was the case for both Tallon Griekspoor and Alexandra Eala on Friday- the former had the double break needed to cover in his eventual win over Matteo Arnaldi, but lost focus for a moment to hand one back and missed the cover by a single game.

Later Alexandra Eala had the chance to serve out the match, and to cover, but blew the opportunity and eventually needed to come through a final set decider in which more chances were wasted to put a strong win on the board.

These things happen in a long season on the Tour and the only positive is that there has been little wrong with the identification of the selections being made.

Saturday will be the beginning of the Fourth Round at the Canadian Masters and eight matches have been scheduled to be played.

However, there are plenty of competitive looking matches out there and the large majority deserve a watching brief with the two selections made both coming from the WTA Toronto tournament.

Jessica Pegula - 3.5 games v Diana Shnaider: These two met in Washington last week and both Jessica Pegula and Diana Shnaider are playing with the kind of confidence that will make them dangerous when the US Open begins later this month.

The back to back WTA 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati is an opportunity for players to really lay down a marker for the US Open and the top names have made it through to the Fourth Round on this side of the draw.

Both Jessica Pegula and Diana Shnaider are top 15 Seeds here in Toronto- the former has always been very comfortable on the hard courts, while the latter has shown she can perform very well on the surface and has used the run at Roland Garros to bolster the confidence.

It was Jessica Pegula who won the Semi Final played in Washington last weekend and that makes it four wins from four matches played against this younger opponent. The three hard court wins have all been in straight sets with the sole set won by Diana Shnaider coming in a clay court tournament held in Charleston, which is very different to the European clay on which she had considerable success at the second Grand Slam of the season.

Diana Shnaider played well enough in the match last week, but this has proven to be a tough match up for her in previous meetings and that was the case again in Washington.

The Pegula first serve has proven to be a key shot, but it is the impressive numbers defending the second serve that can make the difference on the scoreboard at pressurised moments. It is the World Number 3 who has had a clear edge on the second serve and that is likely going to be something we see in this Fourth Round match on Saturday.

For all of the improvements we have seen from Diana Shnaider, it should be noted the loss to Jessica Pegula last week has dropped her to 1-6 in matches against top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts this season. The second serve and the return have simply not been good enough against the elite players of the WTA Tour and that is where Shnaider may end up coming up short again in this match.

Iga Swiatek - 1.5 games v Marta Kostyuk: Revenge has to be on the mind for Iga Swiatek who was upset in the Fourth Round at the French Open by Marta Kostyuk, one of the most improved players on the Tour this season.

That improvement is underlined by the fact that Marta Kostyuk has arrived at this WTA 1000 event at her career best World Number 11 Ranking, although cracking the top 10 is going to be the ambition through the remainder of the season.

Marta Kostyuk does have some important World Ranking Points to protect here in Toronto and at the US Open, but the Ukrainian is playing with a real confidence having reached the Semi Final at both the French Open and Wimbledon. The Asian swing after the US Open will give Kostyuk the opportunity to really push for the top 10 finish, while she is actually on the edge of the top eight and a place in the WTA Finals.

All of that will give her confidence and beating Iga Swiatek on her favourite surface can only be another boost.

However, the World Number 8 has been operating at a very high level on the hard courts and her two wins here in Montreal is a reminder of the kind of tennis that Iga Swiatek can produce.

One of the problems has been consistency within a tournament- Iga Swiatek could be cruising through the Rounds, but any time she has felt some pushback, the response has not come quickly enough and that has seen her fall away within matches.

There has been little wrong with the numbers, but it is also important to state that Iga Swiatek has yet to reach the Semi Final at any hard court tournament in 2026!

Half of the six hard court losses have been against top 10 Ranked opponents and Iga Swiatek will take heart from the fact that Marta Kostyuk is 3-3 against top 10 Ranked opponents herself this season. All of the wins came in the same event in Brisbane where she lost in the Final and Kostyuk has lost the last three hard court matches under that parameter, albeit to Elena Rybakina (twice) and Aryna Sabalenka.

The improvement in the Marta Kostyuk game that has been mentioned is highlighted by a 7-4 record against t0p 10 players overall in 2026, but Iga Swiatek may just produce a reminder of her own capabilities ahead of the US Open.

MY PICKS: Jessica Pegula - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Iga Swiatek - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Canadian Masters: 12-13, - 3.37 Units (25 Units Staked, - 13.48% Yield)