Sabalenka suffers Toronto setback as Alexandrova advances

World number one Aryna Sabalenka faced a significant setback in her US Open preparation, losing to Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova in the fourth round of the Canadian Open in Toronto. The match, lasting nearly two and a half hours, saw the 16th-seeded Alexandrova secure a hard-fought victory.

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I just tried to play every single point as if it was the last one because with her, you don't (get) a lot of chances during the match.

Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion and the reigning US Open winner, initially broke Alexandrova's serve in the first set. However, Alexandrova rallied to win the tiebreak. The Belarusian then fought back in the second set, breaking for a lead and leveling the match. The final set proved decisive, with Alexandrova's aggressive play ultimately overcoming Sabalenka's errors.

Serving to stay in the match at 4-5, Sabalenka saved two match points but ultimately double-faulted on the third, handing the win to Alexandrova. "I just tried to play every single point as if it was the last one because with her, you don't (get) a lot of chances during the match," Alexandrova stated in her on-court interview. She expressed happiness with the win, admitting she thought her chance had passed after the second set.

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Honestly, I was trying not to think about the score or anything. Just hit the ball, and that's it.

Alexandrova is set to face Ukraine's Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals. Svitolina advanced by defeating American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova.

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I'm super happy that I could win because after the second set, I thought (the chance) was already past me.