TORONTO (AP) — Top-seeded Coco Gauff secured a decisive 6-4, 6-2 victory over Yafan Wang on Thursday in the second round of the National Bank Open. This match marked Gauff’s first hard-court appearance since the Miami Open in April as she prepares to defend her U.S. Open title.
Gauff, 20, commented on the challenge of transitioning between surfaces, noting, “It’s not easy transitioning from all these different surfaces in such a short amount of time. Happy to get through.”
In the night session, second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion, defeated Yue Yuan 6-2, 6-2.
Elise Mertens narrowly overcame Naomi Osaka 6-3, 6-4 in a late match. Osaka, a former world No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion, is working on her return to form after maternity leave.
Earlier, fourth-seeded Jelena Ostapenko prevailed over Paula Badosa 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2. Badosa had recently won the Washington title in her comeback from a back injury.
In other results, No. 5 Daria Kasatkina, No. 6 Liudmila Samsonova, No. 8 Emma Navarro, and No. 10 Anna Kalinskaya advanced. Madison Keys, the No. 7 seed, retired from her match against Peyton Stearns due to a thigh injury while trailing 3-0 in the third set.
Kasatkina defeated Amanda Anisimova 6-4, 6-3; Samsonova won against Moyuka Uchijima 6-4, 6-2; Navarro overcame Magda Linette 6-2, 6-4; and Kalinskaya beat Lesia Tsurenko 6-2, 6-2.
Canadian Leylah Fernandez, seeded 15th, was knocked out by qualifier Ashlyn Krueger with a 6-4, 6-2 loss. Marina Stakusic, a 19-year-old wild card from Mississauga, was defeated 6-0, 6-2 by Taylor Townsend.
