In the WTA Toronto Masters, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus defeated China's Zhang Shuai 6-3, securing her place in the fourth round. Despite early struggles to find her rhythm, Sabalenka, the reigning US Open champion and a four-time Grand Slam winner, managed to drop only seven points on her first serve in 76 minutes. Meanwhile, American third seed Jessica Pegula advanced to the round of 16 with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova in 68 minutes.
Sabalenka, who holds a 38-6 record and three titles this year, admitted to having difficulty initially but was pleased with her eventual performance. 'I was trying to step in and then I would step back and nothing really clicked,' she said. 'In the end I finally started moving a little bit better and finding my rhythm so I'm really happy at the end it really clicked.'
Sabalenka will next face Russian 16th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, who eliminated another player. Pegula is set to play against Russian 15th seed Diana Shnaider, who defeated compatriot Anna Kalinskaya. Polish seventh seed Iga Swiatek also progressed, winning 6-2, 6-1 against Swiss Viktorija Golubic in 66 minutes.
Swiatek's victory was characterized by her control over the match tempo, countering Golubic's versatile shots effectively. Swiatek will next face 10th seed Marta Kostyuk, who beat US 19th seed Madison Keys 6-3, 6-1. These matches continue to shape the tournament landscape, with several high-profile players advancing.
