World number one Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula were both upset in fourth-round matches on Saturday at the Toronto Masters. “I was just trying to do my best. Four-time Grand Slam winner Sabalenka suffered a blow to her preparations for a tilt at a third consecutive US Open title, beaten 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-4 by Russian 16th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
“I wasn’t trying to think about the score or anything like beating number one,” said Alexandrova after ousting the Belarusian in 2hr 29min.
Key Factors
Sabalenka dropped the first set on a tiebreak as her Russian opponent won five of the last six points. Sabalenka levelled the match but in the decider faced match points on her serve in the 10th game. But, after sending a backhand beyond the baseline, the Belarusian made her sixth and final double fault to lose the match. Swiatek, a four-time French Open champion, saved nine break points in the last two sets without dropping serve.
Alexandrova moves on to a quarter-final against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who dispatched American Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-4 in 78 minutes.
