Aryna Sabalenka Advances at Canadian Open with Dominant Performance
Sabalenka's Impressive Victory
File image of Aryna Sablenka(Photo: @NBOtoronto/X)
On August 7, Aryna Sabalenka, currently ranked World No. 1, secured a convincing straight-sets victory over Shuai Zhang, winning 6-3, 6-4, to move into the round of 16 at the Canadian Open.
This triumph marks Sabalenka's impressive record of 25 wins against just one loss on hard courts this season, making her the fastest player to achieve 25 hard-court victories in a season since Serena Williams did so in 2016. Additionally, she has now won five consecutive matches against Zhang at the WTA Tour level, all in straight sets.
Although Sabalenka maintained control throughout the match, Zhang applied consistent pressure. The World No. 1 faced a break point in the final game but managed to fend it off, winning the last three points to secure her victory.
Next, Sabalenka will compete against No. 16 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, with a narrow 5-4 advantage in their previous encounters.
In another match, two-time champion Jessica Pegula achieved a 6-4, 6-0 win over Kamilla Rakhimova, despite the match being interrupted by rain.
This third-round match in Ontario was Pegula's third in four days, with her only rest day being a travel day. Nevertheless, she remains optimistic about her performance despite the limited preparation time.
The 32-year-old is set to face Diana Shnaider, whom she recently defeated in the Washington semifinals.
In doubles action, Amanda Anisimova, the No. 8 seed, overcame Nikola Bartunkova with a comeback victory of 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 after receiving a second-round walkover from Lanlana Tararudee.
Gabriela Dabrowski and her new partner Ekaterina Alexandrova were eliminated in the first round by Coco Gauff and Caty McNally. Additionally, sisters Leylah Annie and Bianca Jolie Fernandez, who received a wild card, were ousted by Elise Mertens and Diana Shnaider with a score of 6-1, 6-2.
Fan favorite Alexandra Eala teamed up with Venus Williams in doubles but faced elimination against Liudmila Samsonova and Miyu Kato in the first round.