Toronto: Swiatek advances to fourth round, Eala progresses in Canadian Open
Iga Swiatek has secured her spot in the fourth round of the Canadian Open after a straight-sets victory over Viktorija Golubic. Meanwhile, Alexandra Eala continued her strong performance, defeating Alycia Parks in three sets to reach the third round in Toronto.
Swiatek, the No. 7 seed, displayed a commanding performance in her third-round match on Thursday. She conceded only three games against Golubic, winning 6-2, 6-1 in a match that lasted 66 minutes. This win marks her advancement to the fourth round of the tournament.
The Polish former World No. 1, who was a semifinalist in the Canadian Open in 2023, faced an early break in the first game but quickly recovered. She broke back immediately and then won four consecutive games to establish a 4-1 lead. Despite Golubic holding serve briefly, Swiatek went on to win the next seven games, securing the first set and taking a 5-0 lead in the second.
Although she did not achieve a bagel in the second set, Swiatek closed out the match efficiently. This victory extends her record against Golubic, who is noted as the only player to have defeated Swiatek in the first round of a Grand Slam back at Wimbledon 2019 when Swiatek was 18 years old. Since then, Swiatek has remained undefeated against Golubic in their subsequent three matches, conceding only five games in their last two encounters.
Following her win, Swiatek expressed satisfaction with her play, stating, “For sure it was a good day, and I’m really happy with the way I played. Even though the first game wasn’t super smooth, I knew I could start from the beginning, and then it went my way, and I could find my rhythm.” Her next opponent will be either No. 10 seed Marta Kostyuk or No. 19 seed Madison Keys, as she aims for her second quarterfinal appearance in Canada.
Eala’s Progress in Toronto
Alexandra Eala, the No. 25 seed, continued her impressive run on the North American hard-court circuit. She defeated Alycia Parks with a score of 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 to advance to the third round in Toronto. This follows her recent success, having captured her first singles title on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington on Monday.
The 20-year-old Filipina quickly adapted to the new venue, returning to winning ways in her Toronto debut just two days after her Washington victory. In the opening set, Eala demonstrated dominance, winning five consecutive games from a 1-1 tie to take the set 6-1. She faced no break points on her serve during this set and consistently applied pressure from the baseline.
Parks responded in the second set, surviving two difficult service games early on and saving four break points to hold for a 3-2 lead. She then secured a crucial break in the tenth game to win the set 6-4, forcing a decisive third set. The match saw an exchange of early breaks in the final set before Eala secured the decisive break in the fifth game, moving ahead 3-2. She maintained control, winning the next three games to complete her victory in 1 hour and 51 minutes.
In other doubles action, Alexandra Eala is also set to feature in a highly anticipated partnership with Venus Williams in the night session on Centre Court. The doubles competition began on Thursday, with several matches taking place across different courts. On Centre Court, Jessica Pegula also advanced, despite a rain delay, winning her match against Kamilla Rakhimova. Other notable results include Ekaterina Alexandrova’s victory over Talia Gibson and Diana Shnaider’s win against Anna Kalinskaya.
The third round of the singles competition at the National Bank Open commenced on Thursday at Sobeys Stadium, featuring several seeded players clashing. The tournament continues to showcase top talent, with matches scheduled across Centre Court, Grandstand, Court 1, and Court 4.
Upcoming Matches and Doubles Action
The schedule for Thursday included several key matchups. On Centre Court, following Swiatek’s victory, Jessica Pegula faced Kamilla Rakhimova. Pegula, a two-time champion at the event, overcame an early break and a rain delay to secure her win. She was broken in her second service game but quickly broke back. The pair exchanged breaks again before Pegula secured the decisive break when Rakhimova served to stay in the set. The second set was dominated by Pegula, who broke in Rakhimova’s first two service games. After another rain delay, Pegula finished the match, winning five of the next six points upon resumption.
Later on Centre Court, No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka was scheduled to play against Shuai Zhang. The doubles competition also saw action, with the pairing of Miyu Kato and Liudmila Samsonova set to face the wild card team of Alexandra Eala and Venus Williams in the night session.
On the Grandstand, No. 16 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova defeated Talia Gibson 5-7, 6-1, 6-3. Alexandrova recovered after losing the first set, winning eight consecutive games to take the second set and go up a break in the decider. She eventually served out the match. No. 15 seed Diana Shnaider also advanced, beating No. 17 seed Anna Kalinskaya 6-3, 6-3. Shnaider was broken first in both sets but responded immediately to regain control and secure her win. The match between No. 10 seed Marta Kostyuk and No. 19 seed Madison Keys was also affected by rain, but Kostyuk eventually took control, winning ten of the next twelve games from 2-2 in the first set.
Other doubles matches included Ellen Perez and Demi Schuurs defeating Liudmila Kichenok and Maya Lumsden 7-5, 6-4. Coco Gauff and Caty McNally also secured a comeback victory against Ekaterina Alexandrova and Gabriela Dabrowski 3-6, 6-3, 11-9, after being down a set and a break before a rain delay. The National Bank Open continues to feature intense competition across all courts.
Source: telanganatoday.com
