TORONTO: Russian tennis player Ekaterina Alexandrova produced a major upset at the WTA Toronto Masters by defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round. The 16th-seeded Alexandrova secured a hard-fought 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-4 victory over the four-time Grand Slam champion in a match lasting two hours and 29 minutes. The win booked Alexandrova’s place in the quarter-finals and improved her career record against Sabalenka to 5-5. Sabalenka made a strong start, breaking Alexandrova early in the opening set to take a 2-0 lead. However, the Russian responded by winning four consecutive games. The set remained closely contested, with both players exchanging breaks late in the set. Alexandrova eventually dominated the tie-break and took the opening set 7-6. Sabalenka fought back in the second set. She secured a crucial break to move 4-3 ahead before holding her next two service games to level the match. The deciding set again featured intense rallies and momentum shifts. Alexandrova broke Sabalenka early to establish a 3-1 advantage. Sabalenka managed to recover one break, but Alexandrova remained composed under pressure. The Russian created two match points in the 10th game after a series of errors from the top seed. Sabalenka saved the first two opportunities with a service winner and an ace. However, she then sent a backhand beyond the baseline before committing her sixth double fault of the match, handing Alexandrova victory. Alexandrova said she entered the contest without any particular expectations because she knew defeating Sabalenka would be extremely difficult. She explained that she deliberately played aggressively and took risks because she believed it was the best way to create opportunities against the powerful Belarusian. The victory sends Alexandrova into the Toronto quarter-finals, where she will face either American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova or Ukraine’s ninth seed Elina Svitolina.

Former West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite has praised Pakistan captain Babar Azam for his outstanding leadership, describing his captaincy as a tactical masterclass during the ongoing Test against the Caribbean side. Speaking during his analysis of the match, Brathwaite highlighted Babar’s calm decision-making and ability to read the game under pressure. He said the Pakistan skipper showed excellent awareness by slowing the pace of play at key moments and making smart field changes that unsettled the West Indies batters. According to Brathwaite, one of Babar’s best tactical moves was the field placement against experienced batter Roston Chase. The carefully designed field forced Chase to rethink his natural game and prevented him from scoring freely. “Babar’s field settings kept Roston Chase under constant pressure,” Brathwaite noted. “He had to keep adjusting his approach, and eventually that pressure led to a mistake.” The former all-rounder added that Babar’s leadership reflected a high standard of captaincy, saying every move appeared to be planned according to the match situation rather than following a fixed strategy. Brathwaite believes the Pakistan captain demonstrated maturity, patience and tactical intelligence, qualities that helped his team remain competitive during crucial stages of the contest. Meanwhile, the Test match remains finely balanced. West Indies reached 103-6 in their second innings and currently hold a lead of 60 runs, setting up an intriguing finish over the remaining sessions. Pakistan will now look to capitalize on any opportunity to wrap up the innings quickly, while the West Indies hope to extend their advantage with the lower order. Brathwaite’s glowing assessment has once again placed the spotlight on Babar Azam’s leadership, with many cricket fans praising the Pakistan captain for his strategic approach and composure in high-pressure situations.