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Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina and American Coco Gauff earned victories Sunday to reach the quarterfinals at the National Bank Open.
The second-seeded Rybakina outlasted Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the early singles match at Toronto’s Sobeys Stadium. Rybakina fired 11 aces en route to the victory in two hours 49 minutes.
“I feel like we both didn’t start well,” she said. “Then it became really a fight.”
Rybakina came back after she dropped the first three games of the deciding set.
Gauff, the No. 4 seed, needed only 74 minutes to dispatch Russian qualifier Alina Korneeva 6-3, 6-1.
It was the 89th-ranked Korneeva’s second career appearance in a WTA 1000 main draw. She made it through qualifying in Rome earlier this year before falling in the first round.
Fernandez vs. Osaka
The 30th-seeded Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., the last Canadian in the field at the WTA 1000 tournament, was scheduled to play Japan’s Naomi Osaka in the evening. They have split their two previous meetings.
Osaka, the No. 11 seed, reached the NBO final last year in Montreal before falling to Canada’s Victoria Mboko, who was unable to defend her title due to a knee injury.
Alexandra Eala was set to play 12th-seeded Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the late match.
Eala, the No. 25 seed, is enjoying a breakout season on the WTA Tour.
The 21-year-old from the Philippines won her first WTA 500 title earlier this month in Washington. She entered play on a seven-match win streak.
In doubles quarterfinal action, Italy’s Sara Errani and American Nicole Melichar-Martinez posted a 6-2, 6-2 win over Australia’s Ellen Perez and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands.
In a Round of 16 matchup, Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Britain’s Olivia Nicholls defeated Erin Routliffe of New Zealand and Indonesia’s Aldila Sutjiadi 6-3, 7-5.
Play continues through Thursday at the $7.43-million US tournament.
Defending men’s champ Shelton advances in Montreal
Ben Shelton is still on course to repeat as National Bank Open singles champion.
The fifth-seeded American defeated up-and-coming Brazilian Joao Fonseca 6-3, 7-6 (3) in the Round of 16 on Sunday night at IGA Stadium in Montreal.
Shelton — with serves approaching 230 kilometres per hour — hit five aces to Fonseca’s zero while putting 71 per cent of his first serves in play to reach his seventh quarterfinals at an ATP Masters 1000 event.
The 19-year-old Fonseca, seeded 23rd, had three double faults and won just 58 per cent of his points on first serve.
Shelton, 23, won his first Masters 1000 last year in Toronto. At No. 10 in the world, he’s the highest-ranked player remaining in the tournament after several top seeds exited or withdrew before the third round.
He’ll face the winner of Sunday’s late match between No. 13 seed Jakub Mensik of Czechia and Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.
Earlier on Sunday, 20-year-old American Learner Tien advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante.
Tien will meet Spain’s Daniel Merida Aguilar, who took down Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-1.