World number one Sabalenka ousted in Toronto by Alexandrova
Ekaterina Alexandrova defeated the four-time Grand Slam winner 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-4 in 2hr 29min to book a berth in the quarter-finals.
Ekaterina Alexandrova eliminated world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round of the Toronto Masters tournament on Saturday. The match lasted 2 hours and 29 minutes, with Alexandrova winning 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-4. The Russian defeated the Belarusian four-time Grand Slam champion 7-5 in the first set after a brief 2-0 lead for Sabalenka, who then dropped the next four games. A tie-break ensued, during which Alexandrova took advantage of Sabalenka's double faults in the 11th and 12th games to secure the first set.
In the second set, Alexandrova broke Sabalenka's serve twice, leading 4-3. The top seed then held serve, forcing a decider. Sabalenka broke back in the sixth game, but Alexandrova double-faulted away a break in the seventh. Sabalenka made three unforced errors in the 10th game, giving Alexandrova the break and match point. Alexandrova attributed her victory to taking risks, despite causing many mistakes herself.
The Belarusian now has a 5-5 record in her WTA rivalry with Alexandrova, with the quarter-finals to feature either Anisimova or Svitolina.
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