Defending champion Jessica Pegula makes winning start in Canada over Karolina Pliskova

Jessica Pegula began her quest for a rare Montréal-Toronto double at the National Bank Open on Wednesday night, brushing aside Karolina Pliksova, 7-5, 6-4.

The defending champion is aiming to become the first woman since Martina Hingis in 1999 and 2000 to win back-to-back titles in Canada, and got off to the best possible start under the Center Court lights with a 91-minute victory over the former world No. 1.

Pegula’s biggest title of the 2023 season came in Montréal, where she stunned top-ranked Iga Swiatek en route to her second WTA 1000 title. Her 2024 season has yet to see a similar high as injuries and a mid-season coaching switch have threatened to derail the consistency that took her up to a career-high ranking of No. 3 in the world. Down to No. 6, Pegula enjoyed a first-round bye but would have to hit the ground running against Pliskova, who reached the finals in 2021 and won a first-round match against Nadia Podoroska.

Pegula and Pliskova faced off five times in 2021, with Pegula winning the first four but losing the last at the Cincinnati Open. The American navigated a first set full of momentum swings, rallying from an early break down and shaking off the loss of her own break advantage to ultimately put herself six games from the third round.

Pliskova, whose own injuries and inconsistency has taken her down to No. 45 in the rankings, kept things close in the second set and pushed Pegula hard as she served for the match. But Pegula saved two break chances in a tense final game to secure the victory in straight sets.

Up next for the No. 3 seed will be the winner of a second-round match between countrywoman and qualifier Ashlyn Krueger and No. 15 seed Leylah Fernandez, who kicked of Wednesday’s night session with a three-set win over lucky loser Nao Hibino.