Tsitsipas ousts defending champ Zverev

Rogers Cup quarter finals day in Canada, and in Toronto it began with Grigor Dimitrov (5) playing Kevin Anderson (4).

In Montreal Ash Barty (15) was up against Kiki Bertens in the first match.

WTA Montreal:

Quarter finals

• No break points faced in the first seven games and Barty led 4-3.

A Bertens backhand pass was nullified by one that found the net, and then two unforced errors gave Barty a break point.  It was converted with some smart slice shots eventually seeing Bertens finding the net once more. 5-3 Barty.

Barty double faulted when serving for the set, but came back from 0-30 to set point with solid serving and ground shots.  Bertens had yet another unhappy encounter with the net to leave Barty with a lead 6-3.

A Barty forehand winner and three Bertens forehand errors saw Barty take a love game break to start set two. 

A love game on serve for the Australian.  2-0 and Barty had won the last 12 points.

A backhand winner and an ace for Bertens, and she looked a whole lot better with her love game 1-2.

A drop shot winner from Bertens and 30-15 for Barty.  30-30 after a backhand failure from the fifteenth seed.  Service hold after a smart serve sealed the game 3-1.

Four errors, two apiece, and 30-30.  Finally a winning forehand from Bertens, but another mistake took it to deuce.  A third forehand error in the game from Barty gave Bertens a second game point.

Brilliant Barty placement and deuce.  More amazing placement and break point, then a stunning backhand forcing a Dutch error and a double break.  4-1 Barty.

Forehand winner and super volley highlighted a another love game for Barty who was now just a game away from the semis.

Quickly three match points on the Bertens serve, and Ash Barty needed just one to defeat Kiki Bertens 6-3 6-1 in 54 minutes.  

Barty didn’t face a break point the entire match and in set two won 26 points to 10.  Highly impressive.  And with Demi Schuurs, Ash is also in the doubles semis.

• Sloane Stephens (3) also won easily against Anastasija Sevastova 6-2 6-2
• Simona Halep (1) defeated Caroline Garcia (6) 7-5 6-1 and will play Ash Barty in the semis
• Elina Svitolina (5) defeated Elise Mertens (14) 7-5 6-3, and will play Sloane Stephens (3) in the semis.  If she wins that, she will defend her title in the final.

ATP Toronto:

Quarter finals 

• Kevin Anderson (4) smashed Grigor Dimitrov (5) 6-2 6-2 in just over an hour
• Stefanos Tsitsipas continued his giant killing run by ousting defending champion Sascha Zverev (2) 3-6 7-6(11) 6-4.  He saved two match points in the lengthy second set tie break, and now becomes the youngest player, at 19, to defeat three top ten opponents in a single tournament since Rafa Nadal in Monte Carlo 2006.  (Guillermo Coria, 6, Gastón Gaudio, 7, and Roger Federer, 1, in the final). Stefanos will play Kevin Anderson (4) in the semis to see if he can make it four top ten victims.
• Karen Khachanov defeated Robin Haase 6-3 6-1
• Rafa Nadal (1) revived his fortunes after being subjected to probably the set of the tournament from Marin Cilic (6) to finally defeat the Croatian 2-6 6-4 6-4 and will play Karen Khachanov in the semis.