Elina Svitolina, the ninth seed, reached the semifinals of the Canadian Open in Toronto by rallying past Ekaterina Alexandrova 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 in one hour and 33 minutes on Sunday. The Ukrainian extended her consecutive WTA 1000 winning streak to ten matches, the longest active run on tour.
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A set down, then a storm
Alexandrova, fresh off her upset of Aryna Sabalenka in the previous round, took the opening set 6-3. The 16th seed appeared ready to continue her giant-killing run in Toronto. Svitolina found the answer by adjusting her return position and capitalizing on the Russian's second serves. "She gave me a little bit more second serves, and that really changed the momentum," the Ukrainian explained after the match.
Eleven of twelve games to turn the tide
The turnaround was devastating. Svitolina won eleven of the next twelve games, delivering a 6-0 bagel in the second set in just 24 minutes before building a 5-1 lead in the decider. Alexandrova saved face by pulling back to 5-2, but Svitolina sealed the win with a break to love, securing her fourth victory in five career meetings with the Russian.
The best hard-court player of 2026
With this victory, Svitolina has accumulated 25 hard-court wins this season, level with Sabalenka for the tour-leading total. Her three-set record of 14 wins against just 2 losses confirms a mental toughness that makes her one of the most difficult players to beat when matches go the distance.
Swiatek awaits in a semifinal she has dominated in 2026
Svitolina will face seventh seed Iga Swiatek, who cruised past Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-1 in just 64 minutes in the other quarterfinal. The Ukrainian leads 2-0 against the Pole in 2026, a rare psychological edge against a player of Swiatek's caliber. The winner of this semifinal will reach the final of the first WTA 1000 event of the North American hard-court swing.
