By Canadian Press

Gauff beats Sabalenka to advance to Toronto quarterfinals, will face Halep next

Aug 11, 2022 | 2:56 PM

TORONTO — Coco Gauff moved on to the quarterfinals of the women’s National Bank Open on Thursday with an entertaining and error-filled 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (4) win over Aryna Sabalenka.

Serving for the match, the 10th-seeded American put the contest away on her first match point when Sabalenka returned Gauff’s serve long.

Sabalenka, the sixth seed from Belarus, tossed her racket in frustration after surrendering the point in a marathon match that took three hours 11 minutes to complete.

Both players struggled with windy conditions at Sobeys Stadium, with Sabalenka committing 18 double faults and Gauff hitting into 15. Sabalenka had 42 unforced errors overall, while Gauff had 32.

Sabalenka and Gauff both struggled with their service game as the wind swirled before a packed house at the venue’s grandstand, though both were able to hold through the first 10 games.

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Sabalenka had a chance to break the game open in Game 4, but Gauff overcame four break points to tie the set 2-2.

Gauff finally scored the first break to take a 6-5 lead, with Sabalenka’s second double fault of the game and ninth of the match setting up break point.

Gauff’s fifth double fault set up double break point for Sabalenka, but the American fought back and converted the first set point when Sabalenka returned a forehand into the net.

Sabalenka was accurate on just 40 per cent of first serves in first set.

Sabalenka opened second set with her 10th double fault and fell 3-1, but responded to win eight of the next nine matches. The Belarusian clinched the second set when Gauff committed her ninth double-fault to complete a break.

Gauff came back from an early break in the third set to tie it 3-3, winning the sixth game with her ninth ace of the match.

Sabalenka went up 5-4 with a 193 km/h ace, but Gauff held serve to tie the set again. The two held serve over the next two games to set up the third-set tiebreak.

Gauff will face Romania’s Simona Halep in the quarterfinals. Halep, a two-time Canadian Open champion, defeated Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann 6-2, 7-5 to begin the day’s slate of matches at Centre Court.

Later, seventh seed Jessica Pegula of the United States came back from a set down to defeat defending champion Camila Giorgi of Italy 3-6, 6-0, 7-5. Pegula saved match point to tie the third set 5-5, then broke to take the lead on Giorgi’s sixth double fault of the match. Pegula served to love in the final game to move on to the quarterfinals.

Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., who won the Canadian Open the last time the women played in Toronto in 2019, was scheduled to kick off Centre Court’s evening slate with a match against China’s Zheng Qinwen.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2022.

The Canadian Press