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Several tennis fans were left surprised at Aryna Sabalenka coming up short against Liudmila Samsonova in the Round of 16 at the 2023 Canadian Open.
Sabalenka was contesting the WTA 1000 in Montreal on the back of a disappointing Wimbledon semifinal loss to Ons Jabeur. The World No. 2 defeated Petra Martic in her opening match 6-3, 7-6 (5) before taking on World No. 18 Liudmila Samsonova in the Round of 16 on Friday.
Sabalenka got off to a slow start, losing the opener in the tiebreak 6-7 (2). She then leveled things by claiming the second set 6-4 to force a decider. The reigning Australian Open champion, however, was unable to capitalize on her momentum in the third set. She was defeated by Samsonova 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-3 after a grueling two hours and 55 minutes of play.
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Aryna Sabalenka, who fell just one win short of clinching the World No. 1 spot at Wimbledon, had entered the Canadian Open in hopes of achieving the feat. But the position eluded the No. 2 player this time as well, as Iga Swiatek progressed to the quarterfinals of the event.
The Belarusian still had a chance to close the gap between her and Swiatek by going deep in Montreal. Several tennis fans were disappointed at the 25-year-old not making the most of her opportunities at the Canadian Open.
“Sabalenka is such an unserious girl. Whenever she gets close to the number one she wanna fumble. Every time. She’s so…” one fan said.
"The dream of pushing Iga Swiatek off the throne has to wait. I hope for a long time," another fan chimed in.
Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:
"I didn't feel well physically" – Aryna Sabalenka after loss to Liudmila Samsonova at Canadian Open
Aryna Sabalenka reflected on her performance following her loss to Liudmila Samsonova in the Round of 16 at the Canadian Open.
The World No. 2 admitted that the match was difficult and praised her opponent’s outstanding display of tennis. Following her victory over the Belarusian, Samsonova defeated Belinda Bencic later in the same day to book her semifinal spot.
“The match was really difficult. She played amazing tennis,” Sabalenka said.
Sabalenka further said she wasn’t feeling physically fit and that she was unable to serve and chase down the Russian’s shots.
“Unfortunately, I was not physically ready to play my best level,” she said. “I would say that I didn't feel well physically and as a result I couldn't run or serve as well as I can, that was the hardest part for me.”
Despite the loss, Aryna Sabalenka maintained a positive approach ahead of her campaign in Cincinnati.
“It wasn't one of my best performances today, neither physically nor emotionally. But at least I'm going to learn something from this game and move on,” she added. “I am still happy with the level I was able to produce, more in terms of the spirit of competition than the level of tennis itself.”
As things currently stand, Iga Swiatek holds a 984-point lead over Aryna Sabalenka. The Belarusian is also the defending semifinalist at the upcoming WTA 1000 in Cincinnati, where Swiatek crashed out in the third round last year. This means Sabalanka won’t have a chance of replacing the Pole until after the US Open.
