Composed Gauff ends Korneeva’s giant-killing run in Toronto

Coco Gauff defeated Alina Korneeva 6-3, 6-1 on Sunday evening and will play the winner of the match between Filipino Alexandra Eala, the No 25 seed, and Swiss Belinda Bencic, the No 12 seed, in the next round

9 August 2026

Coco Gauff, Montreal 2026 | © Zuma / PsNewz

Tennis Majors

National Bank Open presented by Rogers •Round of 16 • Completed

See draw

A. KorneevavsC. Gauff

Coco Gauff produced a polished performance to beat Alina Korneeva 6-3, 6-1 on Sunday evening and reach the quarter-finals of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Toronto. The world No 4 was rock-solid from the baseline, ending a remarkable run from the Russian teenager in the process.

Ranked just No 89, Korneeva had been the story of the week, knocking out three seeds on her way to the last 16 – No 13 seed Iva Jovic, No 23 seed Emma Navarro and Polina Kudermetova (who retired). But she found Gauff a different proposition entirely. The American simply refused to give her anything, and it was the return game that did the damage: Gauff converted seven of her 12 break points and won 62% of return points, breaking the teenager’s serve at will.

Gauff was not flawless on her own delivery – she was broken three times and coughed up a few double faults – but it barely mattered against an opponent she outclassed in the rallies, taking 58% of the total points.

Eala or Bencic

It is a fourth WTA 1000 quarter-final of the season for Gauff, and a fourth in Canada, taking her to 34 wins in 2026. Earlier in the week she had eased past No 29 seed Maria Sakkari (6-1, 6-4) and Kayla Day (6-2, 7-5).

Now she waits to discover her last-eight opponent: the winner of the meeting between No 12 seed Belinda Bencic, the 2015 champion, and No 25 seed Alexandra Eala, the Filipina sensation who arrived in Toronto fresh from her maiden title in Washington. Either would make for a compelling quarter-final – but on this evidence, Gauff will take some stopping.