Jessica Pegula serves to Ashlyn Krueger at the National Bank Open in Toronto on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
TORONTO – Coco Gauff wasn’t interested in excuses.
Fatigue, windy conditions and an unfamiliar opponent all worked against her Friday.
Gauff, however, was emphatic. She only had herself to blame.
The women’s top seed at the National Bank Open was ousted 6-4, 6-1 by No. 14 Diana Shnaider of Russia in the third round of Canada’s tennis championship – another twist at a tournament that’s already seen plenty.
“I just wasn’t finding my timing well,” said Gauff, the No. 2-ranked player in the world. “I had a lot of unforced errors and a lot of double faults. She played steady and she didn’t give me any free points.
“Kudos to her.”
Gauff was the flag-bearer alongside NBA star LeBron James for the U.S. at the opening ceremony of Paris Olympics as part of a busy summer schedule.
“I question whether I should have played (in Toronto) or not, but I wanted to test myself,” said the 20-year-old, who made the third round at Roland Garros and knew fatigue would be a factor this week. “I didn’t have high expectations, but I wish I could have competed better today, even if it resulted in a loss.
“I don’t think I competed well.”
The tournament’s No. 2 seed remains alive after Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus topped Great Britain’s Katie Boulter 6-3, 6-3.
Shnaider, ranked No. 24 overall, picked up her first victory over a top-5 or top-10 player on a blustery evening at Sobeys Stadium.
“I did very good job today from the mental side and keeping the focus,” said the 20-year-old, who has all three of her career wins this season. “It was a little bit tough with the wind today, but we need to adjust to conditions.
“Very proud of myself.”
Shnaider achieved another milestone by making her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
“There are no minutes or seconds to waste on any negative thoughts,” she said. “I just went there and I was like, ‘OK, I will just keep fighting for every ball, and if it will go my way, it will go my way.'”
Gauff, meanwhile, double-faulted nine times and cut a frustrated figure as the match wore on, often looking to her team in the stands for guidance.
“I’m used to the wind,” she said. “It makes it tricky, especially playing against a lefty, and then also she’s a very talented player.
“I was just giving her too many errors.”
Apart from Gauff’s defeat, it was a good day for the U.S. in singles.
Defending champion Jessica Pegula topped American qualifier Ashlyn Krueger 6-2, 6-4. The No. 3 seed beat Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova in last year’s Montreal final after also making the semis in both 2021 and 2022.
Krueger upset No. 15 seed Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., on Thursday to eliminate the last remaining Canadian singles player in the draw – both in Toronto and at the men’s event in Montreal.
Taylor Townsend of the U.S. upset No. 4 Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-2, 6-1, Samsonova – the No. 6 seed – beat Belgium’s Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-4, and No. 8 Emma Navarro of the U.S. beat No. 11 Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 7-5, 7-5.
Amanda Anisimova of the U.S. also advanced after No. 10 Anna Kalinskaya of Russia retired because of dizziness.
Peyton Stearns became the fifth American in a quarterfinal contingent dominated by the red, white and blue when No. 12 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus retired with a thigh injury.
Meanwhile in doubles, Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and partner Erin Routliffe of New Zealand ground out a win over Stearns and Poland’s Magda Linette 6-7, 7-6, [10-5] to make the quarters.
Gauff never looked comfortable Friday and was broken by the Shnaider trailing 5-4 in the first set. The American then double-faulted down 2-1 in the second set and Shnaider, who was coming off a doubles silver at the Olympics, held serve to go up 4-1.
Gauff, last year’s U.S. Open winner, was broken again before Shnaider sealed an emphatic victory on Centre Court to advance.
“I knew the match wasn’t going to be easy, especially if I wasn’t on my game,” Gauff said. “I had a lot of opportunities to close the point and I just missed a lot. In that 5-4 game, I think all four points I had chances to hit a winner or close the point.
“Then the second set, I mentally just got frustrated and let it get away from me.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 9, 2024.
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