In a surprising turn of events at the WTA Canadian Open, reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff was defeated by Russia's Diana Shnaider with scores of 6-4, 6-1 in their third-round encounter. This loss marked a significant upset, as Gauff, the world No. 2 and top seed in the tournament, was aiming for her eighth career WTA title. Shnaider’s victory over the highly ranked American was her first win against a top-10 player, highlighting a major breakthrough in her career.
Shnaider, who had been contending with challenging windy conditions, expressed her disbelief and excitement after the match. Despite the tough circumstances, she managed to maintain her composure and secure the win. Reflecting on her performance, Shnaider admitted that she was unsure how she managed to overcome the difficulties but was thrilled with the outcome. She is now focused on adding to her impressive 2024 tally, having previously won titles in Thailand, Bad Homburg, and Budapest.
In a dominant performance, Shnaider required just 70 minutes to secure her place in the quarterfinals, where she will face Russian sixth seed Liudmila Samsonova. Samsonova reached the quarterfinals by defeating Belgium's Elise Mertens with scores of 6-2, 6-4. Shnaider's decisive win included breaking Gauff in the 10th game of the first set and capitalizing on a double fault by Gauff in the second set, leading to a 3-1 advantage that she never relinquished.
Other notable matches saw US third seed Jessica Pegula advancing to the quarterfinals with a victory over Ashlyn Krueger, and eighth seed Emma Navarro defeating Marta Kostyuk. Both Pegula and Navarro will face fellow Americans in the next round. Additionally, Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time reigning Australian Open champion, secured her spot in the quarterfinals by defeating Katie Boulter and will meet Amanda Anisimova next.
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