Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Serena Williams looked out at the sold-out crowd at Sobeys Stadium, searching for the fan who had just shouted "Serena, you're the best!"
"Thank you. I love all of you," said Williams, with a mix of sweat and tears around her eyes, acknowledging the more than 12,500 spectators who watched her final match in Canada.
Williams lost to Switzerland's Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-4 in the second round of the National Bank Open on Wednesday. Williams, who turns 41 this September, announced her intention to retire at the end of this season on Tuesday.
A video tribute to Williams played on the stadium's video screens before she came out for warmups. It featured words of thanks and congratulations from world No. 11 Coco Gauff, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, and women's tennis pioneer Billie Jean King, among others.
Knowing that the second-round match against the 12th-seeded Bencic might be Williams's last in Canada, fans came out in droves. Signs dotted the stadium with messages like "Thank you, Serena!," "Canada loves you!," and "We will miss you!"
"I love playing here. I've always loved playing here," said Williams on the court after her loss. "I wish I could have played better, but Belinda played so well today."
The 23-time Grand Slam champion received three loud ovations before the match even began: when she walked out on to the court, when she met with Bencic and the chair umpire before warmups, and again when she was formally announced.
"It's just been so memorable," said Williams about the outpouring of love after Vogue magazine published an article she wrote announcing her upcoming retirement.
"Like I said in my article, I'm terrible at goodbyes. But goodbye, Toronto."
Fans weren't the only ones caught up in the moment. Bencic, whose two wins over Williams in their five matches have both come at the National Bank Open, said she was still intimidated by the American who many consider the greatest tennis player of all time.
"It feels like I'm starstruck every time I see her, so it's difficult to play her," said Bencic. "It's difficult to put that aside and just focus on the match.
"I don't know how I then play, because I feel like I'm paralyzed a little bit just watching her."
Williams looked to be in her classic form early on, scoring the match's first point on an ace. Although the American won two games early, she could not keep up with the 25-year-old Bencic.
The second set was more even, with Bencic and Williams tied 3-3, but the Swiss player won back-to-back games. Serving to stay in the match, Williams pumped her fist and yelled to the delight of the partisan crowd as Bencic's failed return made it 5-4.
Williams hit the ball long on match point, bringing an end to the match and her time playing in Canada. It's expected that she will formally end her career after the U.S. Open, which begins on Aug. 29.
"I think the U.S. Open is going to be even more special," said Bencic.
"So good luck to everyone who has to play her," she added with a laugh.
Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., is the lone Canadian left in the women's singles tournament. She advanced to the Round of 16 with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 win over France's Alizé Cornet in the day's final match.
Andreescu won the event in 2019 when it was last held in Toronto with a victory over Williams. The Canadian said she loves the energy of her hometown crowd.
"I've never played in front of a crowd like this and same went for 2019," said Andreescu. "Hopefully they can continue like this (throughout) the tournament."
Earlier Wednesday, Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., was eliminated from the tournament following a 7-6 (4), 6-1 loss to Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Fernandez, the 13th seed in Toronto, was playing in her first tournament following a two-month layoff to recover from a stress fracture in her right foot that she sustained at the French Open.
She and her sister Bianca Fernandez then teamed up in the doubles tournament, losing to Andreja Klepač of Slovenia and Alexa Guarachi of Chile 6-1, 6-2.
"It's a little hard today because we just finished with two losses," said Leylah Fernandez. "I'm just happy that I finally was back in competition and that we not only tested out the foot but also the body. The body feels great.
"Of course, not at the level that we want it to be, but at least we know what we need to work."
Haddad Maia will next face world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, who cruised into the third round with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic.
Swiatek increased her hardcourt winning streak to 20 matches with a clinical performance, defeating Tomljanovic in just one hour four minutes.
In other early results, 10th seed Gauff beat Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina 6-4, 6-7 (8), 7-6 (3). Defending champion Camila Giorgi of Italy downed Belgium's Elise Mertens 6-3, 7-5. And seventh seed Jessica Pegula downed fellow American Asia Muhammad 6-2, 7-5.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 10, 2022.
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.