Reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina advanced to the fourth round of the WTA Toronto Masters on Friday while French Open winner Mirra Andreeva was eliminated by Canada’s Leylah Fernandez. World number two Rybakina from Kazakhstan defeated American 28th seed Ann Li 6-2, 7-5 in 90 minutes, winning five of six break chances while saving two of four against her. Rybakina, who also won the 2022 Wimbledon title, advanced to a last-16 meeting with Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova, who outlasted Australian Maya Joint 7-5, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2.
Samsonova leads the career rivalry with Rybakina 4-2 but Rybakina has won their past two WTA meetings, most recently in last year’s Strasbourg final. Fernandez, the 30th seed, dispatched 19-year-old fifth-ranked Russian Andreeva 6-1, 6-4 in 80 minutes, snapping a seven-match losing streak against top-10 opponents. Fernandez will next face four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, the 11th seed from Japan who defeated Belgium’s 20th-seeded Elise Mertens 6-1, 6-2 in 71 minutes.
Fernandez Reflects on Key Strategies After Victory Over Pegula
Leylah Fernandez secured a significant win against fourth-ranked Jessica Pegula, a notable achievement as she previously defeated a player of this caliber while clinching the WTA Washington title last year.
In her post-match comments, Fernandez emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive mindset and patience throughout the match. “The key for me was to stay positive, stay strong, and to keep being patient,” she stated, acknowledging that Pegula would not offer easy opportunities.
Fernandez highlighted the lengthy rallies as a crucial aspect of her strategy, saying, “In the beginning, there were a lot of long rallies, and that was key for me to stick with it, trusting in my abilities, and to continue playing my game throughout the match.”
She also noted her extensive training focused on consistency, mentioning, “I’ve trained a lot growing up in being consistent and hitting like 100 balls in a row. That’s where I come back to. I know I can do it.”
