Alexandrova Stuns Sabalenka in Canadian Open Fourth Round

A costly double fault on match point sealed a dramatic fourth-round exit for top seed Aryna Sabalenka at the Canadian Open on Saturday, as 16th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova claimed a 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 victory in Toronto.

The battle, which spanned nearly two and a half hours, saw Russian player Alexandrova advance to the quarter-finals through relentless baseline play. For Sabalenka, the reigning US Open champion and world number one, the loss marks a sudden bump in her build-up to Flushing Meadows.

Sabalenka initially went ahead by breaking serve early in the first set, but Alexandrova fought back to force a tiebreaker, which she dominated. The four-time Grand Slam winner regrouped in the second set, breaking for a 4-3 lead and serving out to even the match.

However, rising unforced errors hindered the Belarusian in the decider. Trailing 4-5 while serving to stay alive in the match, Sabalenka successfully wiped away two match points before double-faulting on the third to hand Alexandrova the victory.

Reflecting on the triumph, Alexandrova emphasized that treating every point as if it were her last was vital, knowing how few openings Sabalenka usually allows her opponents, according to match reporting from Business Recorder.