MONTREAL: Andrey Rublev defeated a world number one for the second time in his career as he stopped Jannik Sinner 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 on Saturday to reach the semi-finals of the ATP Montreal Masters.

The fifth seed caught the Italian at a down moment, with Sinner appearing low on energy in the final set and frequently flexing his right hip.

It was the second match of the day for both Sinner and Rublev as organisers made up for a rained-off Friday.

The Italian top seed played this week for the first time since Wimbledon, where he fell ill and exited in the quarter-finals before missing the Paris Olympics with tonsillitis.

Sinner’s form took a dive in the deciding set, which he lost on a double-fault after saving two Rublev match points.

Rublev owns two defeats of number one players against four defeats. He also beat top-ranked Novak Djokovic at Belgrade two years ago.

Sinner started his day with a 6-4, 6-3 third-round victory over Canadian-born Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, advancing in 80 minutes at the tournament, which ends on Monday due to Paris Olympic scheduling.

Rublev had earlier defeated American Brandon Nakashima 6-2, 6-2 in a third-round match.

Second seed Alexander Zverev, the 2019 champion in Canada, overcame stiff late resistance from Dane Holger Rune, winning a third-round match 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) with 21 winners including eight aces.

Zverev leads the ATP with 49 match wins this season.

Sinner, who stands 24-2 this season on hardcourt, has qualified as first into the field at November’s ATP Finals in Turin.

Former US Open finalist Kei Nishikori extended his comeback story, saving eight of 10 break points in a 6-3, 6-4 defeat of Portugal’s Nuno Borges, last month’s Bastad champion.

But Nishikori missed out on his first ATP semi-final since 2021 in Washington when he dropped a 6-4, 7-5 quarter-final to Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi.

It was the second win of the day for Arnaldi, who earlier advanced 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 3-0 when Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina retired with stomach illness.

Delayed second-round matches were wrapped in early afternoon with recovering Hubert Hurkacz leading the way with his 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) fightback win over qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis, the fourth seed’s first outing since knee surgery.

Poland’s Hurkacz had not played since quitting injured in the Wimbledon second round and then heading home for a knee operation, with doctors telling him his season was over. He had double duty also, coming back in the night session to defeat France’s Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Last week’s Washington titleholder Sebastian Korda was a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) winner over fellow American Taylor Fritz and then reached the quarters by walkover when sixth seed Casper Ruud was forced out by illness.

Korda will face Zverev next.

ANISIMOVA SHOCKS SABALENKA

Meanwhile, American Amanda Anisimova upset two-time reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-2 to reach the semi-finals of the WTA Toronto Masters.

Anisimova, into her first Masters semi-final, advanced to a showdown against US eighth seed Emma Navarro, who eliminated fellow American lucky loser Taylor Townsend 6-3, 7-6 (7-5).

Anisimova, 22, will try to reach her fourth career WTA final and first since winning at Melbourne in January 2022.

World number three Sabalenka was broken in the 10th game to drop the first set, netting a backhand to surrender to set then slamming her racquet to the court in frustration.

After an early exchange of breaks in the second set, Sabalenka netted a backhand to give 132nd-ranked Anisimova a break and a 4-2 edge.

Anisimova then won the last eight points — holding at love for a 5-2 lead and breaking at love to complete the upset after 86 minutes when Sabalenka double faulted.

Third seed defending champion Jessica Pegula advanced by eliminating fellow American Peyton Stearns 6-4, 7-5 in 89 minutes. Pegula stormed back after falling behind 5-2 in the second set.

Pegula reached her fourth consecutive Canadian Masters semi-final, matching Gabriela Sabatini and Simona Halep one off the record held by Monica Seles.

She will next face Russian 14th seed Diana Shnaider, who upset sixth seed compatriot and 2023 Canada runner-up Liudmila Samsonova 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2024