The National Bank Open presented by Rogers at IGA Stadium concluded with not one but two victories.
In addition to Camila Giorgi, Eugène Lapierre and his valiant Tennis Canada team in Montréal managed to pull off a huge comeback win for the tournament.
It must be said: there were colossal challenges.
Would there be fans in the stands? What type of bubble could protect the players and their teams? Where would they find the money?
Organizers worked hard during the two-year hiatus. Plans A, B, C and all the rest of the alphabet were developed and considered. In the race against time, there was no alternative.
As if the puzzle wasn’t complicated enough, Tennis Canada had a month to get organized and invent new ways of doing things, since the greenlight from the Public Health Agency of Canada only came on July 18.
The final bill is a hefty one—$2M to $2.5M according to Lapierre—but what the sport has just accomplished is priceless.
The event was a huge achievement from the tennis perspective, as well as from the economic one. The National Bank Open is the very first successful international event in Montréal, Québec and Canada that gives broader meaning to the recovery.
When the chair umpire ended the final with the traditional game, set, match, Ms. Giorgi, He could have also added Eugène Lapierre, his team and all the volunteers as winners.
SURPRISE WIN – OR WAS IT?
So, how about the surprise champion, World No.71 Camila Giorgi of Italy? She defeated No.4 Karolina Pliskova of Czechia, who lost her first serve and found a lot of double faults.
The final score between the two 29-year-olds was indisputable, 6-3, 7-5 in front of 5,000 fans—the maximum allowed on Centre Court.
“It’s unbelievable!” said the new champion with her first WTA 1000 title in hand.
If you like fun facts, know that Giorgi is the lowest ranked player ever to win the Canadian title after Serena Williams, who was No.80 in Toronto in 2011.
Without taking anything away from Camila Giorgi, Karolina Pliskova looked like she was having an off day.
Still, Giorgi made it her business to eliminate five Top 50 players, including No.9 Elise Mertens, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova (No.7) and Pliskova.
52-YEAR WAIT
After Bianca Andreescu in singles in 2019, Canadian tennis has a new women’s champion in doubles.
Time to dust off the record books!
Gabriela Dabrowski of Ottawa and her partner Luisa Stefani of Brazil ousted two veterans, Andreja Klepac (35 years old) and Darija Jurak (37 years old), 6-3, 6-4.
The last Canadian to claim the title played in the time wooden racquets. Faye Urban and Brenda Nunns were crowned in 1969.
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“All for the court, they succeeded,” said Eugène Lapierre, using the Tennis Canada slogan to sincerely thank those who receive in the restart of the Open.
