World No. 1 Sabalenka Stunned in Toronto Masters Third Round
On.cc · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago1 MIN
Summary
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka suffered a surprise third-round exit at the Canadian Masters in Toronto, falling to Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova in a marathon three-set battle on Sunday (August 9) Hong Kong time . The Belarusian star, holder of four Grand Slam titles, was unable to advance to the quarter-finals despite pushing the match to a deciding set .
Key Points
- Sabalenka lost to Alexandrova with a final score of 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 4-6 after battling for 2 hours and 29 minutes .
- The defeat marked a significant upset as Sabalenka entered the tournament as the top-ranked player in the world .
- Alexandrova expressed satisfaction with her performance, particularly her ability to hold serve at 5-4 in the final set to close out the victory .
- Poland's Iga Swiatek rallied from a set down to defeat world No. 11 Marta Kostyuk 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 and advance to the quarter-finals .
- Swiatek's victory ended a worrying streak of seven consecutive three-set losses against top-20 opponents dating back to September .
Why It Matters
Sabalenka's early exit opens up the draw at one of the key hard-court events leading into the US Open, potentially reshaping the title race. For Hong Kong tennis fans following the WTA tour, this result signals a more unpredictable field heading into the final Grand Slam of the season .
Sabalenka's early exit opens up the draw at one of the key hard-court events leading into the US Open, potentially reshaping the title race. For Hong Kong tennis fans following the WTA tour, this result signals a more unpredictable field heading into the final Grand Slam of the season .