Stephens, Svitolina advance in Montreal

Published by Matt Trollope

Sloane Stephens is into the quarterfinals in Canada for the second straight year; Getty Images
Seeds Sloane Stephens, Elina Svitolina, Simona Halep and Caroline Garcia seal quarterfinal berths at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal.

Sloane Stephens is proving pressure doesn’t phase her, with the No.3 seed moving through to the quarterfinals of the Coupe Rogers in Montreal with a commanding performance against Carla Suarez Navarro.

Stephens beat the former world No.6 – a qualifier this week in Canada – 6-2 7-5 to set up a quarterfinal meeting with Anastasija Sevastova, who beat 10th seed Julia Goerges in straight sets.

Under lights on Thursday evening, No.6 seed Caroline Garcia was too good for Maria Sharapova, winning 6-3 6-2 for her second straight win over the Russian.

After that, world No.1 Simona Halep was far too strong for an injury-hampered Venus Williams, winning 6-2 6-2.

RELATED: Tsitsipas stuns Djokovic to reach quarters in Toronto

Joining them in the last eight was No.5 seed Elina Svitolina, while Aryna Sabalenka stunned No.2 seed Caroline Wozniacki in a Centre Court thriller in a delayed second-round match.

Sabalenka lost to Wozniacki in a tight Eastbourne final in June, but turned the tables with a 5-7 6-2 7-6(4) victory on Thursday, during which she saved three match points.

“I was so happy,” said Sabalenka, who finished the match with 15 aces and 64 winners.

“I was trying to play every point, without thinking of anything else. When you’re on the court, you start thinking about a lot of things but none of the right ones. That was a big help for me.”

Lamented Wozniacki: “I had an opportunity. I didn’t get it. She plays very well, very aggressive. She serves big. I feel like I would have felt after the finals: it’s obviously disappointing losing a match like this when you have the opportunity.”

Yet her elation didn’t last long; she returned later on Thursday and failed to convert a match point in losing to 14th seed Elise Mertens 2-6 7-6(1) 6-0.

Svitolina, meanwhile, cruised past former world No.4 Johanna Konta in straight sets, after the Brit earlier on Thursday had brushed aside former world No.1 Victoria Azarenka 6-3 6-1.

Svitolina, the defending champion in Canada when the tournament was played last year in Toronto, could face Sabalenka for a shot at the semifinals.

But back to Stephens.

She reached the semis in Toronto last year, part of a magnificent North American hard-court swing that also saw her reach the semifinals in Cincinnati and go all the way to the US Open title, her first Grand Slam trophy.

As a result, she is defending more points than any other player in this segment of the season.

Yet she is not playing like a person feeling too much strain, yet to drop a set en route to the last eight in Montreal.

“She’s a great player. I thought she played really well. We played a good match today,” said Stephens, who had a match point when leading 6-2 5-1 before closing out victory in 90 minutes.

“Maybe the old me would have kind of freaked out. I was kind of, like, ‘Okay, it’s fine, she’s allowed to play well. Just kind of regroup.’ I did that. I was happy with that.”

Sevatsova was one of the players Stephens beat en route to her title in Flushing Meadows.

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