World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka showcased her impressive skills on hard courts with a 6-3, 6-3 win against Japanese qualifier Moyuka Uchijima during the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto on Tuesday.
Event Context
Sabalenka kicked off her campaign to recover from her quarter-final exit at Roland Garros and a round-of-16 defeat at Wimbledon with a strong performance. The Belarusian has been a hard-court powerhouse this year, achieving 24 victories in her last 25 matches on this surface, her only setback being to Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final. She now sets her sights on a successful run on North American hard courts, aiming for a potential three-peat at the US Open, which begins on August 30 in New York.
However, her Czech opponent managed to disrupt Swiatek’s flow, winning two consecutive games before Swiatek staged a remarkable recovery, saving nine break points in a tense 22-minute sixth game to secure a 4-2 lead. “I’m pleased that I maintained my composure throughout, especially as things became quite physical towards the end,” Swiatek remarked.
Swiatek has seen a decline in her ranking, dropping from third last year to her current eighth. Her disappointment at Wimbledon came just weeks after the four-time French Open champion was eliminated in the last 16 at Roland Garros. Throughout this season, she has not reached a single Tour-level final. She will look to change that in her next match against Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic, who advanced after defeating Croatian Donna Vekic with a score of 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.
Eighth-seeded Amanda Anisimova moved on to the third round without a fight, as her scheduled opponent, Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee, withdrew due to illness. Meanwhile, 10th-seeded Marta Kostyuk, who made it to the semi-finals at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, bounced back from a slow start to defeat Canadian wild card Katherine Sebov 7-6, 6-0, after trailing 4-1 in the first set.
Player Focus
“I’m pleased with my performance and the way I fought,” Sabalenka remarked following her match in the second round. “I anticipated some challenges after a brief break, but I was prepared for that.
“I’m glad that I was mentally and physically ready to compete.”
Although Sabalenka faced some obstacles against the 111th-ranked Uchijima, she managed to navigate through a series of five service breaks early in the second set, taking a 3-2 lead.
She maintained her advantage to 4-2 and seized the opportunity to close out the match, finishing it with an overhead winner on her second match point.
Uchijima posed an early challenge for the Belarusian, recovering from a 40-15 deficit to break serve and quickly build a 2-0 lead.
Team Analysis
After experiencing a third-round exit in her Wimbledon title defense, seventh-seeded Iga Swiatek from Poland dominated the early stages of her next match, taking control with a strong start that included a double-break lead of 3-0 in the second set.
In an impressive comeback, ninth-seeded Elina Svitolina from Ukraine overcame a set disadvantage and a break down to secure victory against Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, finishing the match with scores of 6-7, 7-6, 6-4.
Match Outlook
Sabalenka surged ahead by winning the next five games, ultimately securing the first set with a strong service game.
Former world number one Iga Swiatek experienced some tense moments but kicked off her US Open preparations with a solid 6-0, 6-3 win against Sara Bejlek.
“The opening set was challenging, but I’m pleased to have had a match like this as I return, as it helps me navigate through tough situations and reinforces my resilience,” stated Kostyuk, who is set to compete against former Australian Open champion Madison Keys next.
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In the third round, she will compete against Zhang Shuai from China, who was ahead 6-0, 4-0 when Jelena Ostapenko retired from their match.
