Sabalenka and Norrie exit Canadian Open in last 16Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Sabalenka has not reached a final since winning the Miami Open in MarchPublished1 hour agoWomen’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka suffered a surprise defeat in the Canadian Open weeks before she begins her US Open title defence, while Britain’s Cameron Norrie also bowed out in the last 16.Sabalenka lost 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 6-4 to Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova in a match lasting almost two and a half hours in Toronto.The Belarusian recovered from a set down to force a decider, but a double fault when serving to stay in the match handed the number 16 seed victory.It is the just in defeat in what has been a difficult summer for Sabalenka, who was knocked out in the quarter-finals and last 16 of the French Open and Wimbledon respectively.”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 mentioned.”I’m super happy that I could win because after the second set, I thought [the chance] was already past me.”The Russian will face Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina for a place in the semi-finals, after she defeated American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-2 6-4.Third seed Jessica Pegula suffered a first career loss to Diana Shnaider, as the 22-year-old finished both sets strongly to win 6-3 6-3.The Russian will face Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals, after the seventh seed overcame opening set service troubles to defeat 10th seed Marta Kostyuk 3-6 6-1 6-2.The six-time Grand Slam winner retired to the locker room after Kostyuk broke her serve four times during a shambolic a 39-minute opening set, but looked much improved when she returned.In the men’s event in Montreal, British number two Cameron Norrie spurned two set-point opportunities as he was defeated 6-2 7-6 (10-8) by 18th seed Arthur Fils.Norrie saved three match points in the second set to force a tie-break, but the Frenchman broke his serve to win in one hour and 43 minutes.Fils will meet Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar in the quarter-finals, after the 19-year-old upset eighth seed Jiri Lehecka 6-3 6-3.Brandon Nakashima and Luciano Darderi also progressed to the next round with gruelling three-set victories over Arthur Rinderknech and Nuno Borges respectively.Italian Darderi used a mid-match changeover to enjoy an espresso as he battled to a 4-6 6-3 7-5 win.Related topicsTennis
