At the WTA Toronto Masters, reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina showcased her formidable skills by advancing to the fourth round on Friday. The world number two from Kazakhstan defeated American player Ann Li, the 28th seed, with a score of 6-2, 7-5 in a match that lasted 90 minutes. Rybakina demonstrated her dominance on the court, converting five of her six break point opportunities while successfully saving two out of four against her.
Rybakina, who also clinched the Wimbledon title in 2022, is now set to face Russia's Liudmila Samsonova in the last 16. Samsonova progressed after a challenging match against Australian Maya Joint, winning 7-5, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2. Historically, Samsonova leads their career rivalry with a record of 4-2; however, Rybakina has emerged victorious in their last two encounters, including a win in last year's Strasbourg final.
In a notable upset, French Open champion Mirra Andreeva was eliminated by Canada's Leylah Fernandez. The 30th seed Fernandez defeated the 19-year-old Andreeva, ranked fifth in the world, with a decisive score of 6-1, 6-4 in just 80 minutes. This victory marked a significant turnaround for Fernandez, who had been on a seven-match losing streak against top-10 opponents. Her last win against a player ranked this high was during her run to the WTA Washington title last year, where she defeated fourth-ranked Jessica Pegula.
Fernandez credited her success to maintaining a positive mindset throughout the match. "The key for me was to stay positive, stay strong, and to keep being patient," she said, acknowledging the challenge posed by Andreeva. The Canadian left-hander excelled on her serve, winning 24 of 27 points on her first serve and 17 of 23 points on Andreeva's second serves. In contrast, Andreeva struggled with her performance, committing 34 unforced errors against just 17 winners.
Looking ahead, Fernandez will face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, the 11th seed from Japan. Osaka secured her spot in the fourth round by defeating Belgium's 20th-seeded Elise Mertens with a commanding score of 6-1, 6-2 in just 71 minutes. Osaka's performance included seven aces and she successfully converted four of eight break points while denying Mertens on all three of her break chances.
Fernandez and Osaka have met twice previously, with each player winning one match. Fernandez's victory came during the 2021 US Open, where she finished as the runner-up, while Osaka won their most recent encounter at Wuhan last year. Osaka acknowledged the unique challenge Fernandez presents as a left-handed player, stating, "It's tough because she's lefty. Obviously, there aren't many lefties on tour, so it takes me a while to get used to that. She has a really good attitude. I've never seen her down. She always keeps fighting. I really appreciate that about her."
In other matches, US fourth seed Coco Gauff advanced by defeating Greece's Maria Sakkari 6-1, 6-4. Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam winner, took an early lead in the second set but faced a late challenge from Sakkari, who rallied to come within two points of leveling the match. Gauff ultimately secured victory with a backhand volley winner and a service winner. She will next face 19-year-old Russian Alina Korneeva, who ousted US 13th seed Iva Jovic 6-3, 6-4.
Additionally, Alexandra Eala, the 21-year-old left-hander from the Philippines, reached the fourth round after defeating American Caty McNally 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. Eala, who recently won her first WTA title in Washington, faced some challenges during the match, including having her right ankle taped, but managed to secure the win after two hours and 39 minutes. She will next compete against Swiss 12th seed Belinda Bencic, who triumphed over American Taylor Townsend in a grueling match that lasted over three hours.
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