The world No. 3, Jessica Pegula, was the first favorite to go out, falling to Ekaterina Alexandrova in the early match, 6-0, 6-4.
It was Alexandrova’s fifth Top 10 win of the year, which actually ties her for the most Top 10 wins on the women’s tour so far this year alongside Madison Keys and Mirra Andreeva.
Then, in the second match of the day, Jelena Ostapenko continued her mastery over Iga Swiatek, battling past the world No. 2, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, to improve to 6-0 in the pair’s head-to-head.
No one else has ever defeated Swiatek six times, let alone doing it undefeated. The Latvian is 12-3 in sets against the Pole, too.
And in the last match of the day, following Sabalenka’s win, Coco Gauff bowed out, the world No. 4 falling in an all-Top 10 clash against world No. 6 Jasmine Paolini in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.
Gauff originally led 4-2 in the first set before Paolini won six games in a row to lead 6-4, 2-0 and the Italian was never behind again, finishing the match with 20 winners to just 12 unforced errors.
“I was trying to repeat to myself to keep going,” she said about the early deficit. “Then it started going really well, I started to hit the ball better and it kept getting better, and I’m really happy how it went.”
Gauff finished the match with 19 winners to 27 unforced errors.
