Doubles Matches Highlight National Bank Open as Fan Favorites Exit

At the National Bank Open in Toronto, doubles matches gained prominence on Thursday, a rare occurrence for the event. The Fernandez sisters, Leylah and Bianca, faced Elise Mertens and Diana Shnaider, but were defeated 6-1, 6-2 in a match that lasted just over an hour.

Venus Williams, 46, partnered with 21-year-old Alexandra Eala, but they also lost in straight sets to Japan's Miyu Kato and Liudmila Samsonova, 6-4, 6-3. Despite the loss, the crowd showed strong support for both Williams and Eala.

In singles action, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the Round of 16 with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Shuai Zhang. Sabalenka expressed satisfaction with her performance and the match conditions. Additionally, Gabriela Dabrowski and Ekaterina Alexandrova lost in a dramatic doubles match against Coco Gauff and Caty McNally, 3-6, 6-3, 11-9.