Canadian Open Toronto WTA Day Six Round-Up | Alex Eala keeps rolling, Fernandez upsets Andreeva as Osaka and Gauff make statement wins

The Canadian Open continued to produce statement wins in Toronto, with several of the tournament's leading contenders advancing without dropping a set. Elena Rybakina recovered from a difficult spell against Ann Li, while Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff also moved through in straight sets, strengthening their positions as the draw moves deeper into the second week.

Leylah Fernandez produced the standout result, however, dismantling Mirra Andreeva in a convincing straight-set victory on home soil. The Canadian's performance was particularly significant after her loss to Andreeva in Madrid earlier this season, while Alexandra Eala also survived a rollercoaster against Catherine McNally to reach the fourth round and keep her breakthrough run alive.

Rybakina was far from her best but did enough to overcome No. 31 seed Ann Li and reach the fourth round. The two-time Grand Slam champion made the stronger start, breaking three times in the opening set and establishing control from the baseline.

Li briefly recovered one of those breaks, but Rybakina's serving remained a major advantage, winning 74% of her service points compared with just 42% for the American as she wrapped up the opener in 30 minutes.

The second set became much more competitive, with Li eventually moving ahead 5-3 and earning the opportunity to serve for the set. However, the American could not capitalize, wasting set points on her own serve and again on the return as Rybakina fought her way back into the contest. The Kazakh then won the final four games in a row to complete the comeback and avoid a deciding set. She will face Liudmila Samsonova in the fourth round.

Fernandez produced one of her most impressive performances of the season to claim her first top-10 victory of 2026, defeating Andreeva in a rematch of their Madrid encounter earlier in the season.

Playing in front of the home crowd, the Canadian immediately established control, winning five consecutive games during a dominant opening set that lasted just 31 minutes. Andreeva struggled to match Fernandez's intensity as the Canadian dictated the rallies and consistently put pressure on her serve.

The momentum carried directly into the second set, with Fernandez winning nine games in succession from 1-1 in the opener to move 4-0 ahead. Andreeva eventually found a response, recovering one of the breaks and holding twice to make the score more respectable, but the damage had already been done. Fernandez stayed composed when serving for the match for the second time and closed out one of her most important wins of the season.

Osaka continued to strengthen her case as a serious contender in Toronto with a commanding victory over Mertens, dropping just three games against the 2025 Canadian Open finalist. The Japanese player controlled the match from the return, using deep deliveries to prevent Mertens from establishing comfortable positions in rallies and repeatedly taking the initiative from the baseline.

Mertens had three break-point opportunities but Osaka saved all three, while the former world No. 1 converted four of her eight chances on the Belgian's serve. Osaka also won 73% of her service points compared with only 45% for Mertens, allowing her to protect her own service games while constantly applying pressure on return. After another convincing performance, Osaka advances with momentum into the next round.

Gauff controlled the majority of her meeting with Sakkari, using an early double break to race through the opening set 6-1. The American quickly established another significant advantage in the second, again taking two breaks to move 5-1 ahead and put herself within one service game of completing a straightforward victory.

Sakkari refused to go quietly, however, responding with three consecutive games to cut the deficit to 5-4 and briefly putting the outcome back in doubt. Gauff had already missed one opportunity to serve out the match, but she did not allow the comeback to develop further. On her second match point, the American finally closed out the victory in straight sets and moved into the next round, where she will face Anastasiia Kournikova.

Alexandra Eala survived a rollercoaster three-set battle against Catherine McNally to reach the fourth round in Toronto. The Filipino endured a difficult start, dropping serve in each of her first two service games, but immediately recovered one of the breaks before McNally moved 3-1 ahead. From there, Eala completely flipped the momentum, winning five consecutive games to take the opening set 6-3 and establish control of the match.

The second set became another test of Eala's composure, with both players repeatedly struggling to protect their serves. Eala took three breaks while McNally found two of her own, and the Filipino had the opportunity to close out the match at 5-4. However, she again failed to serve out the victory, allowing the American to turn the set around and win it 7-5 after taking two consecutive breaks.

The deciding set was ultimately settled by a single early break, with Eala managing to protect her serve for the remainder of the contest and complete the victory after two hours and 40 minutes. She now faces Belinda Bencic in the fourth round, with the Swiss coming through another marathon against Taylor Townsend.