American Amanda Anisimova pulled off a stunning upset, defeating two-time reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday to advance to the semifinals of the WTA Toronto Masters. This victory marks Anisimova’s first appearance in a Masters semifinal. She will now face US eighth seed Emma Navarro, who overcame fellow American lucky loser Taylor Townsend 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), in a Sunday showdown.
Anisimova, aged 22, is aiming for her fourth career WTA final, her first since triumphing in Melbourne in January 2022. Her previous WTA titles came in Bogota in 2019 and the 2018 Japan Open, where she lost her first career WTA final. World number 15 Navarro, 23, has one previous WTA title, which she secured in January at Hobart.
“She’s a player who is definitely on fire right now. She’s playing some great tennis,” Anisimova said of Navarro. “I’m sure it will be a tough match.”
Sabalenka, ranked third in the world, suffered a break in the 10th game, losing the first set after netting a backhand. Frustration boiled over as she slammed her racquet to the court. The second set saw an early exchange of breaks, but Sabalenka’s backhand faltered again, gifting Anisimova a break and a 4-2 lead. Anisimova, who has maintained a perfect record this week, won the final eight points, holding at love for a 5-2 lead and breaking at love to secure the upset victory after 86 minutes. The match concluded with Sabalenka double-faulting.
“She’s an amazing player, so it’s always really tough playing against her,” Anisimova acknowledged.
Meanwhile, third-seeded defending champion Jessica Pegula advanced to the semifinals after eliminating fellow American Peyton Stearns 6-4, 7-5 in a hard-fought battle that lasted 89 minutes. Pegula faced a 5-2 deficit in the second set before mounting a comeback. “I just reminded myself of what I needed to focus on,” Pegula explained. “Even though it was 5-2, I knew there was always still a chance I could come back, especially having break points earlier on in the set as well and that seemed to work for me.”
This victory marks Pegula’s fourth consecutive Canadian Masters semifinal appearance, drawing her level with Gabriela Sabatini and Simona Halep. She now sits one short of Monica Seles’ record. In the next round, Pegula will face Russian 14th seed Diana Shnaider.
Shnaider secured her spot in the semifinals by upsetting her compatriot and 2023 Canada runner-up, sixth-seeded Liudmila Samsonova, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. Earlier, Shnaider stunned US top seed and reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff on Friday. In the final set, Shnaider struck a forehand down the line winner to break for a 4-3 lead, which she held to claim victory. Ranked 24th, Shnaider is seeking her fourth WTA title of the year after wins in Thailand, Bad Homburg, and Budapest.
