Aryna Sabalenka’s preparations for her US Open title defence suffered a significant blow on Saturday as the world number one was knocked out in the last 16 of the Canadian Open by Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova in a match lasting nearly two and a half hours in Toronto.
Sabalenka lost 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-4 in a contest she had fought her way back into after losing the first set. She forced a decider but undid her own work at the most critical moment, serving a double fault when holding serve would have kept her in the match. Alexandrova, the 16th seed, took full advantage.
It continues a difficult summer for the Belarusian, who was eliminated at the quarter-final stage at the French Open. Also failing in the last 16 at Wimbledon. Three successive exits at the same stage of successive tournaments signal something is not quite right heading into Flushing Meadows.
Alexandrova was composed in her assessment afterwards.
“I just tried to play every single point as if it was the last one because with her, you do not get a lot of chances during the match,” she said.
“After the second set I thought the chance was already past me.”
The Russian now faces Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina for a place in the semi-finals. This comes after Svitolina defeated American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova.
Elsewhere in the women’s draw, third seed Jessica Pegula suffered her first career defeat to Diana Shnaider. Iga Swiatek progressed despite a troubled opening set against 10th seed Marta Kostyuk. First retiring to the locker room after Kostyuk broke her serve four times in a shambolic 39-minute first set before returning to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. Shnaider will face Swiatek in the semi-finals.
The Men’s Side of Things
In the men’s event in Montreal, Britain’s Cameron Norrie exited at the same stage after squandering two set-point opportunities in a defeat to Arthur Fils. Norrie saved three match points in the second set to force a tie-break but Fils broke his serve to close it out in one hour and 43 minutes. Fils will next face 19-year-old Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar, who upset eighth seed Jiri Lehecka. One of the day’s more notable results.
Brandon Nakashima and Luciano Darderi also advanced through grinding three-set wins. Darderi’s route to victory included a mid-match changeover before completing a win over Nuno Borges.
Sabalenka has three weeks to find her best tennis before the US Open begins.
