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In a showdown between two players born in 2004, Russian Diana Shnaider claimed her first Top 10 victory with a decisive 6-4 6-1 win over US Open champion Coco Gauff in the third round of the National Bank Open in Toronto.
Facing off in challenging, windy conditions, the slightly younger Shnaider broke Gauff’s serve once late in the first set and twice in the second, sealing a commanding victory. Gauff, the tournament’s top seed, struggled with her serve, recording eight double faults and landing only 50% of her first serves. She also managed to win just 19% of her first return points (6/32) and failed to convert the lone break point she earned.
Shnaider, who had successfully transitioned from the clay courts of the Paris Olympics—where she secured a silver medal in women’s doubles alongside Mirra Andreeva—appeared well-prepared for the Toronto event. In contrast, Gauff acknowledged feeling less prepared: “Sometimes I question whether I should have played or not,” Gauff admitted. “But at the end of the day I wanted to test myself and see if I would be able to, how I would do being mentally tired a little bit and physically fatigued.”
Seeded 14th in Toronto, Shnaider now advances to her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal, where she will face sixth seed Liudmila Samsonova.
At just 20 years old, Shnaider, ranked 24th in the world, has already captured three WTA titles this year, each on a different surface—Budapest (clay), Bad Homburg (grass), and Hua Hin (hard). Her versatile and consistent performance is rapidly establishing her as a formidable force on the tour.
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