TORONTO, Aug 11: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was knocked out of the National Bank Open after Ekaterina Alexandrova produced a stunning performance to defeat the top seed in a hard fought fourth round encounter.
Alexandrova prevailed 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 to book her place in the quarterfinals, handing Sabalenka an unexpected early exit from the tournament.
The Russian kept her composure during crucial stages of the contest and managed to withstand Sabalenka’s powerful baseline game. The opening set went to a tiebreak, where Alexandrova established an early advantage.
Sabalenka responded strongly in the second set, forcing the match into a decider. However, Alexandrova maintained her attacking intent in the final set and eventually secured one of the biggest wins of the tournament.
The result gives Alexandrova renewed momentum heading into the latter stages of the Canadian event, while Sabalenka will now turn her attention to the remainder of the North American hard-court season.
