TORONTO – Top-seeded American tennis player Coco Gauff demonstrated her strength on Thursday by defeating Yafan Wang with a score of 6-4, 6-2 in the second round of the National Bank Open. Gauff, who is preparing to defend her title at the US Open, played her first hardcourt match since the Miami Open in April. “It’s not easy to switch between these different surfaces in such a short time,” said the 20-year-old player, who came off a third-round loss on clay at the Paris Olympics. “I’m happy to have handled it.”
In the late evening session, second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka faced Yue Yuan. Other players advancing included fifth seed Daria Kasatkina, sixth seed Liudmila Samsonova, eighth seed Emma Navarro, and tenth seed Anna Kalinskaya. Seventh-seeded Madison Keys withdrew from her match against Peyton Stearns due to a thigh injury while trailing 3-0 in the third set.
Kasatkina won against Amanda Anisimova with a score of 6-4, 6-3; Samsonova triumphed over Moyuka Uchijima, winning 6-4, 6-2; Navarro defeated Magda Linette with a score of 6-2, 6-4; and Kalinskaya overcame Lesia Tsurenko, winning 6-2, 6-2.
Canadian player Leylah Fernandez, seeded 15th, was eliminated after losing 6-4, 6-2 to qualifier Ashlyn Krueger. Additionally, Marina Stakusic, a 19-year-old wildcard entrant from Mississauga, was defeated 6-0, 6-2 by Taylor Townsend.
Stay tuned for more updates from the National Bank Open and other Olympic events!