TORONTO: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was eliminated from the Canadian Open in Toronto on Saturday after Russian 16th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova defeated her 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-4 in the fourth round.
The match lasted two hours and 29 minutes, with Alexandrova securing a place in the quarter-finals after a closely contested three-set battle.
The defeat leaves Sabalenka with a 3-4 career record against Alexandrova across their seven meetings.
How Did Alexandrova Beat Sabalenka?
Sabalenka made a strong start, breaking Alexandrova for a 2-0 lead in the opening set. The Russian responded by winning four consecutive games before Sabalenka levelled the set at 4-4.
Both players surrendered breaks late in the set, forcing a tie-break. Alexandrova won five of the final six points to take the opening set 7-6.
Sabalenka responded in the second set, breaking for a 4-3 advantage before holding her next two service games to force a decider.
Alexandrova then broke early in the third set to move 3-1 ahead. Sabalenka recovered a break in the seventh game, but the Russian continued to attack and created two match points at 5-4.
Sabalenka saved both with a service winner and an ace, but a backhand error and a final double fault handed Alexandrova the victory.
Who Will Alexandrova Face Next?
Alexandrova advances to the quarter-finals, where she will face Ukraine’s ninth-seeded Elina Svitolina after Svitolina defeated eighth seed Amanda Anisimova in straight sets.
The victory is a significant result for Alexandrova, who entered the tournament as the 16th seed and has now removed the top-ranked player from the Toronto draw.
Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion and reigning US Open winner, will now turn her attention to the hard-court events leading into the US Open later this month.
Alexandrova said she entered the match without expectations and focused on taking risks against the world No. 1.
“I was trying to risk as much as possible because it felt like it was the only way to create some chances,” she said.