Aryna Sabalenka's build-up to the US Open suffered a major setback on Saturday as the world No. 1 was knocked out of the National Bank Open in Toronto in the fourth round, beaten 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-4 by Ekaterina Alexandrova after two hours and 29 minutes.
The Russian 16th seed arrived in Canada with modest expectations after an inconsistent season, yet she played with the aggression she said she had been missing for months to produce the biggest win of her year. Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion who will chase a third straight title at Flushing Meadows next month, now trails 5-5 in her career rivalry with Alexandrova.
The contest swung repeatedly. Sabalenka broke for a 2-0 lead in the opening set, dropped the next four games and clawed back to 4-4 on a forehand drop-volley winner. Double faults from both players traded breaks in the 11th and 12th games, sending the set to a tie-break in which Alexandrova took five of the last six points after Sabalenka swatted a crosscourt forehand wide.
The second set followed a similar pattern. Alexandrova hit a forehand long to hand over a break, Sabalenka moved 4-3 ahead and held twice to force a decider. In the third, Alexandrova edged 3-1 in front when Sabalenka netted a forehand, then double-faulted away her own break in the seventh game. The decisive moment arrived in the 10th game, when three unforced errors from Sabalenka gave Alexandrova break and match points. The Belarusian saved the first with a service winner and the second with an ace, but sent a backhand beyond the baseline and closed the match with her sixth double fault.
"I wasn't trying to think about the score or anything like beating number one," Alexandrova said. "I was just trying to do my best... I'm super happy that I could win because after the second set, I thought winning was already past me." On her approach, she added: "I was trying to play super aggressive, the way I didn't play for a long time. It worked."
Alexandrova will meet Ukraine's Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals after the ninth seed dispatched Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-4. World No. 3 Jessica Pegula also exited on a day of upsets, losing 6-3, 6-3 to Russian 15th seed Diana Shnaider, who will face former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the last eight after the Pole rallied past Marta Kostyuk 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Sources
- https://www.turkiyetoday.com/sports/world-number-one-sabalenka-ousted-in-toronto-by-alexandrova-3225713
- https://www.arabnews.com/node/2653952/sport
