Toronto: Aryna Sabalenka suffers shock QF exit after being ousted by world No. 132

Aryna Sabalenka is out of the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto after getting completely outplayed by Amanda Anisimova in the quarterfinal, who clinched a 6-4 6-2 win in just less than an hour and a half of play. 

After returning from a shoulder injury last week in Washington and losing in the semifinal, Sabalenka came to Toronto hoping to improve her level since it was clear that she didn’t play her best tennis in DC. But after managing to get past her opening two matches fairly routinely, the two-time Grand Slam champion didn’t have an answer for Anisimova on Saturday.

Throughout the match, Anisimova was going for her shots and not backing down to Sabalenka. That was especially evident in the second set after the American completed her win by going on a major run to set up a semifinal against No. 8 seed Emma Navarro in style. 

How Anisimova sent Sabalenka home?

Early in the first set, Sabalenka put some pressure on Anisimova but the American managed to survive those moments after saving two two break points in the third game and three other break points two games later. 

After a couple of saved break points, Anisimova also got her first break point of the match in the eighth game – but didn’t convert. However, the American earned another one in the 10th game – the game in which Sabalenka was serving to stay in the first set – and this time realized it to seal the opener.

Down by a set, Sabalenka broke Anisimova to love in the third game of the second set. In those moments, it looked like the Belarusian former world No. 1 may have finally started to play better and that it may be the start of a big comeback. 

But instead, Anisimova impressively bounced back by claiming three breaks in a row and winning the next five games to overturn an early second-set deficit and get the job done in straight sets.