American No. 1 seed Coco Gauff moved into the third round of the WTA Toronto Masters on Thursday with a 6-4, 6-4 win over China’s Wang Yafan. In her first match since being knocked out of the tournament by Croatia’s Donna Vekic at the Paris Olympics, the 20-year-old American hit six aces and hit 60 percent of her first serves to dispatch Wang in 88 minutes.
“It was difficult,” said Gauff. “I think I made more mistakes than usual, but overall I think I played the points right. I just need to do better on the last two balls. Overall I’m happy with my game.”
The reigning US Open champion will next face 14th-seeded Russian Diana Shnaider, who beat Poland’s Magdalena Frech 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5).
World number two Gauff is now switching to hard court after her run to the fourth round at Wimbledon and an Olympic appearance on clay at Roland Garros. “It would be special to win here, especially as I’m trying to get going on the hard court,” said Gauff. “I’m not expecting much, but I’m just trying to play good tennis.”
Gauff, a semifinalist at this year’s Australian and French Opens, has won six of her seven WTA titles on hard courts, the most recent in Auckland in January. Her only exception is a clay court title in Italy in 2021.
Two-time reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka also advanced, eliminating China’s Yuan Yue 6-2, 6-2 in 81 minutes. Next up for the world number three is 33rd seed Brit Katie Boulter, who advanced when 13th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia retired after just two games with a lower back injury.
Seventh-seeded American Madison Keys had to retire with a left thigh injury after trailing 0-3 in the third set against fellow countrywoman Peyton Stearns. Fourth-seeded Latvian Jelena Ostapenko caught up and defeated Spaniard Paula Badosa, who was last week’s WTA Washington champion, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2. Next up for the world number eleven is lucky loser Taylor Townsend from the US.
Sixth seed Russian Liudmila Samsonova reached the round of 16 by beating Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima 6-4, 6-2, while 11th seed Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk eliminated compatriot Elina Svitolina 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.
