MONTREAL: Top seed Coco Gauff staged a thrilling comeback to reach the last 16 of the Canadian Open on Thursday, while former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev was knocked out of the men’s tournament by Australian Alexei Popyrin.
World number two Gauff clawed her way back from a set down to defeat Russian Veronika Kudermetova 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in a match that stretched over two and a half hours.
“It was a tough match today,” the French Open champion said. “I thought I did well mentally, especially on the return. I was playing an opponent who served really well. Obviously, I would have liked to serve better, but I’m just happy to get through.”
Gauff arrived in Montreal having lost her tournament openers at Wimbledon and Berlin in the wake of her French Open triumph.
She struggled mightily in her first match in Montreal but came up with a win over Danielle Collins despite 23 double faults.
The numbers weren’t quite as ugly against Kudermetova, but 14 double faults were damaging enough. Seven of them came in the first set, as Gauff let a 4-1 lead get away.
Gauff dropped her serve to open the second set, but after breaking back to level at 3-3 she broke again to force the third set — where she seized a 2-0 lead and powered home.
She next faces 18-year-old Canadian wild card Victoria Mboko, a 1-6, 6-3, 6-0 winner over Czech Marie Bouzkova.
Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska stunned American eighth seed Emma Navarro 7-5, 64 while Russian fourth seed Mirra Andreeva also exited the tournament, losing 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to American McCartney Kessler.
Kessler will fight for her first WTA 1000 quarter-final appearance against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, who beat Daria Kasatkina 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).
Ninth seed Elena Rybakina from Kazakhstan saw off Romanian Jaqueline Cristian 6-0, 7-6 (7/5).
China’s Zhu Lin, whose ranking has plummeted to 493 after months sidelined by injury, advanced with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands.
Zhu will face Spain’s Jessic Bouzas, who beat Japanese qualifier Aoi Ito 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Zverev rallies
On the men’s side, top seed Alexander Zverev switched into survival mode to claim a milestone 500th ATP match win, fighting back to beat Matteo Arnaldi 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-2.
“It’s a great achievement,” Zverev, winner of 24 ATP titles, said of reaching 500 career match wins. “Not a lot of players reach this milestone.”
Zverev next faces Francisco Cerundolo — a 6-3, 6-4 winner over fellow Argentine Tomas Echeverry.
Alex Michelsen toppled third seed Lorenzo Musetti 3-6, 76 (7/4), 6-4 in a gripping third-round contest.
The American 26th seed shrugged off a sluggish start to unleash a barrage of big hitting and keep the Italian on the ropes.
Michelson will face fellow American Learner Tien for a place in the quarter-finals. Tien beat compatriot Reilly Opelka 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
The shocks kept coming as 10th seed Medvedev was stunned by 18th seed Popyrin 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.
Defending champion Popyrin will face fifth-seeded Holger Rune, who advanced with an efficient 6-2, 6-4 result over Frenchman Alexandre Muller.
Eighth seed Casper Ruud from Norway beat Portugal’s Nuno Borges Nuno Borges 7-5, 6-4 and next faces 11th-seeded Karen Khachanov.
Khachanov defeated US qualifier Emilio Nava 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-1 to book his second Masters round of 16 spot this season.
Published in Dawn, Aug 2nd, 2025