Rybakina, Gauff advance to Toronto quarter-finals / Photo: MATTHEW STOCKMAN - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Rybakina, Gauff advance to Toronto quarter-finals
World number two Elena Rybakina battled her way into the WTA Canadian Open quarter-finals on Sunday, while fourth-ranked Coco Gauff cruised into the last eight.
Kazakhstan's Rybakina outlasted Russian Liudmila Samsonova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 after two hours and 49 minutes, before American Gauff eliminated Russian teen qualifier Alina Korneeva 6-3, 6-1 in Toronto.
Rybakina, down two breaks at 0-3 in the third set, rallied to book a quarter-final against the winner of the last-16 match between four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and home hope Leylah Fernandez.
Gauff reached the last eight in Canada for the first time since 2023.
Her seventh WTA quarter-final of the year will be against either Swiss 12th seed Belinda Bencic or Alexandra Eala, the in-form Filipina who won her first WTA title earlier this week in Washington.
Gauff, who has not dropped a set in Canada, fired 16 winners against 15 unforced errors.
"My main focus today was let me try and close it out," Gauff said. "Probably not the way I should be thinking but it worked today.
"I'm proud of how the last three matches have gone and just knowing if I have to go the distance I'm ready but obviously would prefer to cut it short if I can."
Gauff won seven of 12 break points she forced but lost all three of those against her.
W.Scott--CT
