World number one Sabalenka upset by Alexandrova at Canadian Open

What the report says

World number one Aryna Sabalenka was eliminated from the Canadian Open in Toronto after a three-set fourth-round loss to Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing Reuters. The match took place on Saturday and ended 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 after nearly two and a half hours.

Alexandrova, the 16th seed, used aggressive shot-making to prevail after Sabalenka twice pushed back in the match. Sabalenka recovered from an early deficit in the first set and later levelled the contest by taking the second set, but Alexandrova held firm in the deciding set as Sabalenka’s unforced errors increased. Sabalenka saved two match points while serving at 4-5, but a double fault on the third match point sealed the result for the Russian.

The loss is a setback for Sabalenka as she prepares for the US Open later this month, where she is the defending champion and remains one of the leading contenders. For Alexandrova, the win sends her into the quarterfinals and underlines a strong run in a high-profile WTA event.

Alexandrova next faces Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who advanced by beating American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-4. The result adds another notable upset to a tournament that has already featured several top-ranked players in the draw.