Italian seventh seed Jannik Sinner beat Tommy Paul 6-4 6-4 on Saturday to set up a Canadian Open final clash with Australia's Alex De Minaur, who was a 6-1 6-3 winner over Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Sinner outlasted Paul in a slugfest that was a showcase of power from both sides and at one point saw the duo engage in a 46-shot rally that marked the longest of the week in Toronto.

"It was a fight obviously," said Sinner, who saved eight of 11 break points in the win. "He was playing great as I do and at the end, you know match point, when I got there I was praying please. But thank God I won in two (sets)."

Sinner and Paul twice exchanged breaks in the opening set but it was the Italian who held serve when it mattered most as he took a 5-4 lead before clinching the set with another break. Sinner led 2-1 in the second set when Paul called for the tour physio who worked on his right hip while he lay sprawled on his left side in discomfort.

Paul was unable to hold serve in the next game, handing over the break with a double fault, before a determined Sinner went on to consolidate for a commanding 4-1 lead. From there, the Italian continued to display great length and pace on his ground strokes and turned aside three break points, including one during a 46-shot rally, for a 5-2 lead that sent him on his way.

"I tried so hard to win that point," Sinner said. "Just tried to play one more ball in the court than him and that was I guess the solution."

De Minaur overcame blustery conditions to secure a breakthrough victory over Davidovich Fokina and reach the first Masters 1000 final of his career. De Minaur, who was fresh off an upset over second seed Daniil Medvedev, delivered a simple gameplan in rather tricky conditions, while Davidovich Fokina struggled to find any sort of rhythm throughout the 78-minute match.

"First thing I knew once I stepped out on court it wasn't going to be pretty, so I didn't expect perfect tennis from my side of the court today," said De Minaur, who wrote "so windy" on an on-court camera lens after the match.&nbsp; "I just told myself to stay positive, keep competing no matter what and you never know what's going to happen. "So I thought I had a great mindset today ... Didn't play the best of tennis, but I did what needed to be done today in these conditions."

De Minaur wasted no time setting the tone against Davidovich Fokina as he broke the Spaniard twice en route to a 5-1 lead before serving out the opening set on his first opportunity. The 24-year-old Australian maintained the pressure as he broke Davidovich Fokina four times to build a 5-2 lead in the second before sealing the match with his seventh break.

"I've had a hell of a week. It's been the breakthrough that I always knew I had inside of me so it's great to show it and play for a final," De Minaur said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-number-one-carlos-alcaraz-knocked-out-of-toronto-masters-daniil-medvedev-also-shown-door-624739">World number one Carlos Alcaraz knocked out of Toronto Masters; Daniil Medvedev also shown door</a>

<h2 data-label="Package" data-qa-component="item-headline" dir="auto" title="Tennis-Pegula tops Swiatek to reach Montreal final, rain postpones second semi">Jessica Pegula tops Iga Swiatek to reach Montreal final, rain postpones second semi-final</h2>

Jessica Pegula beat world number one Iga Swiatek 6-2 6-7(4) 6-4 on Saturday to reach the Canadian Open final in Montreal, where ongoing rain delayed the start of the other semi-final between Elena Rybakina and Liudmila Samsonova until Sunday.

Rybakina and Samsonova are now scheduled to begin their match at 1:30 p.m. ET (1730 GMT) on Sunday, leaving the winner with little downtime before the final, which will begin "after suitable rest" and not before 5:30 p.m. American world number three Pegula, playing in her third consecutive Canadian Open semi-final, broke Swiatek's serve 11 times and managed her way through the big moments of the match better than the four-times Grand Slam winner.

"She always makes it tough but of course it's incredibly rewarding to beat the number one player in the world and I am sure that will give me a lot of confidence going into tomorrow and the next couple weeks," Pegula said securing a spot in her first Canadian Open final.

Neither player was able to defend their serve until Pegula held to love for a 4-2 lead and the American followed that by going up a double break before producing a pair of aces to close out the first set on her next service game.

Swiatek looked to have settled into a groove as she opened the second set with her first service hold of the day followed by a pair of breaks for a 3-1 lead. Pegula, however, clawed back and opened up a 5-4 lead after breaking Swiatek for the eighth time but was unable to serve out the match as the Pole levelled the frame before going on to force the decider.

Swiatek won the first eight points of the third set to build a 2-0 lead but Pegula kept cool and twice came back from a break down en route to securing one of the biggest wins of her career. Rybakina reached the semis with a win over Daria Kasatkina in a match that lasted nearly three and a half hours and ended just before 3 a.m. on Saturday.

Samsonova booked her place in the final four with a win over Belinda Bencic during Friday's night session after beating Aryna Sabalenka in the day session. Samsonova has won both her previous meetings with Rybakina, including a first-round clash in Montreal two years ago.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

Italian seventh seed Jannik Sinner beat Tommy Paul 6-4 6-4 on Saturday to set up a Canadian Open final clash with Australia's Alex De Minaur, who was a 6-1 6-3 winner over Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Italian seventh seed Jannik Sinner beat Tommy Paul 6-4 6-4 on Saturday to set up a Canadian Open final clash with Australia's Alex De Minaur, who was a 6-1 6-3 winner over Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Sinner outlasted Paul in a slugfest that was a showcase of power from both sides and at one point saw the duo engage in a 46-shot rally that marked the longest of the week in Toronto. "It was a fight obviously," said Sinner, who saved eight of 11 break points in the win. "He was playing great as I do and at the end, you know match point, when I got there I was praying please. But thank God I won in two (sets)." Sinner and Paul twice exchanged breaks in the opening set but it was the Italian who held serve when it mattered most as he took a 5-4 lead before clinching the set with another break. Sinner led 2-1 in the second set when Paul called for the tour physio who worked on his right hip while he lay sprawled on his left side in discomfort. Paul was unable to hold serve in the next game, handing over the break with a double fault, before a determined Sinner went on to consolidate for a commanding 4-1 lead. From there, the Italian continued to display great length and pace on his ground strokes and turned aside three break points, including one during a 46-shot rally, for a 5-2 lead that sent him on his way. "I tried so hard to win that point," Sinner said. "Just tried to play one more ball in the court than him and that was I guess the solution." De Minaur overcame blustery conditions to secure a breakthrough victory over Davidovich Fokina and reach the first Masters 1000 final of his career. De Minaur, who was fresh off an upset over second seed Daniil Medvedev, delivered a simple gameplan in rather tricky conditions, while Davidovich Fokina struggled to find any sort of rhythm throughout the 78-minute match. "First thing I knew once I stepped out on court it wasn't going to be pretty, so I didn't expect perfect tennis from my side of the court today," said De Minaur, who wrote "so windy" on an on-court camera lens after the match. "I just told myself to stay positive, keep competing no matter what and you never know what's going to happen. "So I thought I had a great mindset today ... Didn't play the best of tennis, but I did what needed to be done today in these conditions." De Minaur wasted no time setting the tone against Davidovich Fokina as he broke the Spaniard twice en route to a 5-1 lead before serving out the opening set on his first opportunity. The 24-year-old Australian maintained the pressure as he broke Davidovich Fokina four times to build a 5-2 lead in the second before sealing the match with his seventh break. "I've had a hell of a week. It's been the breakthrough that I always knew I had inside of me so it's great to show it and play for a final," De Minaur said. Also read: World number one Carlos Alcaraz knocked out of Toronto Masters; Daniil Medvedev also shown door Jessica Pegula tops Iga Swiatek to reach Montreal final, rain postpones second semi-final Jessica Pegula beat world number one Iga Swiatek 6-2 6-7(4) 6-4 on Saturday to reach the Canadian Open final in Montreal, where ongoing rain delayed the start of the other semi-final between Elena Rybakina and Liudmila Samsonova until Sunday. Rybakina and Samsonova are now scheduled to begin their match at 1:30 p.m. ET (1730 GMT) on Sunday, leaving the winner with little downtime before the final, which will begin "after suitable rest" and not before 5:30 p.m. American world number three Pegula, playing in her third consecutive Canadian Open semi-final, broke Swiatek's serve 11 times and managed her way through the big moments of the match better than the four-times Grand Slam winner. "She always makes it tough but of course it's incredibly rewarding to beat the number one player in the world and I am sure that will give me a lot of confidence going into tomorrow and the next couple weeks," Pegula said securing a spot in her first Canadian Open final. Neither player was able to defend their serve until Pegula held to love for a 4-2 lead and the American followed that by going up a double break before producing a pair of aces to close out the first set on her next service game. Swiatek looked to have settled into a groove as she opened the second set with her first service hold of the day followed by a pair of breaks for a 3-1 lead. Pegula, however, clawed back and opened up a 5-4 lead after breaking Swiatek for the eighth time but was unable to serve out the match as the Pole levelled the frame before going on to force the decider. Swiatek won the first eight points of the third set to build a 2-0 lead but Pegula kept cool and twice came back from a break down en route to securing one of the biggest wins of her career. Rybakina reached the semis with a win over Daria Kasatkina in a match that lasted nearly three and a half hours and ended just before 3 a.m. on Saturday. Samsonova booked her place in the final four with a win over Belinda Bencic during Friday's night session after beating Aryna Sabalenka in the day session. Samsonova has won both her previous meetings with Rybakina, including a first-round clash in Montreal two years ago. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Tennis: Jannik Sinner thrashes Tommy Paul to set up Canadian Open final clash with Alex De Minaur

Frustrated world number one Carlos Alcaraz was knocked out of the ATP Toronto Masters on Friday as American Tommy Paul won 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to end&nbsp;the Spaniard's 14-match winning streak. Top-seeded Alcaraz was unable to escape the poor form that has plagued him all week as he prepares for a US Open title defence starting in just over two weeks.

The 20-year-old muttered to himself and chastised his play during a match lasting more than two and a quarter hours.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/oca-chief-randhir-singh-predicts-greatest-ever-asian-games-in-hangzhou-despite-election-review-624733">OCA chief Randhir Singh predicts 'greatest ever' Asian Games in Hangzhou despite election review</a>

Paul, ranked 14th, repeated his victory over the Spaniard a year ago in the Montreal second round and now awaits a semi-final opponent from sixth seed Jannik Sinner and French showman Gael Monfils.

"I don't know if I think I have the recipe, but I played a really good match today," Paul said after notching another Canadian win over Alacraz. "I went after my shots. You can't start any points on your heels against him, he'll take advantage of it so you've really got to go after your shots early in the rally."

"Luckily I was feeling really good, playing first-strike tennis."

Alcaraz struggled early for the second straight match after barely&nbsp;escaping a third-round encounter with Hubert Hurkacz. The reigning Wimbledon and US Open champion had 27 winners and 30 unforced errors while Paul's numbers were 19 and 29. After losing serve three times in the opening set, Alcaraz recovered enough to take the second. But the Spaniard was well off his game, floating a volley wide to trail 4-2 in the final set.

Paul took quick advantage, advancing on his second match point from an Alcaraz return wide.

"I knew he would be there in the third set," Paul said, adding: "It helps to have beaten an opponent before. That attitude is important."

<h2>- Medvedev ousted -</h2>

Second-seeded Daniil Medvedev was also sent spinning out of the tournament, falling 7-6 (9/7), 7-5 to Australian Alex de Minaur. De Minaur will make his first semi-final appearance at the Masters 1000 level against unseeded Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who beat Mackenzie McDonald 6-4, 6-2.

Medvedev had won his last seven matches in Toronto, including a title run in 2021. But the 27-year-old was unable to get past the efficient game of number 18 De Minaur, who had lost four of five previous meetings with Medvedev.

"I had to play my best tennis," De Minaur, runner-up at Los Cabos last weekend, said. "It's always a complete chess match between us, we're both adaptable and can play many styles of tennis.

"He brings out the best in me, The way I played today was the best style of tennis that I could produce."

De Minaur needed more than an hour per set to prevail against the world number three.

The Aussie saved three set points in the opener and claimed the victory on his own second opportunity as Medvedev double-faulted.

Medvedev repeated his complaint about the slow speed of the balls on the tour this season, but said his own game could have been sharper.

"It was not a bad match but I definitely could have done better to win the first set," he said. "I mean, up 5-1 on the tiebreak, and then 6-4, 5-3 serving for it - I could have done better."

Davidovich Fokina advanced in 97 minutes on his third match point against Mackenzie, who beat an injury hobbled Rafael Nadal in the second round of the Australian Open in January.

The 37th-ranked Spaniard, who reached the final Monte Carlo last year, continued a strong week that saw him topple world number three Casper Ruud on Thursday.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Frustrated world number one Carlos Alcaraz was knocked out of the ATP Toronto Masters on Friday as American Tommy Paul won 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to end the Spaniard's 14-match winning streak.

Frustrated world number one Carlos Alcaraz was knocked out of the ATP Toronto Masters on Friday as American Tommy Paul won 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to end the Spaniard's 14-match winning streak. Top-seeded Alcaraz was unable to escape the poor form that has plagued him all week as he prepares for a US Open title defence starting in just over two weeks. The 20-year-old muttered to himself and chastised his play during a match lasting more than two and a quarter hours. ALSO READ: OCA chief Randhir Singh predicts 'greatest ever' Asian Games in Hangzhou despite election review Paul, ranked 14th, repeated his victory over the Spaniard a year ago in the Montreal second round and now awaits a semi-final opponent from sixth seed Jannik Sinner and French showman Gael Monfils. "I don't know if I think I have the recipe, but I played a really good match today," Paul said after notching another Canadian win over Alacraz. "I went after my shots. You can't start any points on your heels against him, he'll take advantage of it so you've really got to go after your shots early in the rally." "Luckily I was feeling really good, playing first-strike tennis." Alcaraz struggled early for the second straight match after barely escaping a third-round encounter with Hubert Hurkacz. The reigning Wimbledon and US Open champion had 27 winners and 30 unforced errors while Paul's numbers were 19 and 29. After losing serve three times in the opening set, Alcaraz recovered enough to take the second. But the Spaniard was well off his game, floating a volley wide to trail 4-2 in the final set. Paul took quick advantage, advancing on his second match point from an Alcaraz return wide. "I knew he would be there in the third set," Paul said, adding: "It helps to have beaten an opponent before. That attitude is important." - Medvedev ousted - Second-seeded Daniil Medvedev was also sent spinning out of the tournament, falling 7-6 (9/7), 7-5 to Australian Alex de Minaur. De Minaur will make his first semi-final appearance at the Masters 1000 level against unseeded Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who beat Mackenzie McDonald 6-4, 6-2. Medvedev had won his last seven matches in Toronto, including a title run in 2021. But the 27-year-old was unable to get past the efficient game of number 18 De Minaur, who had lost four of five previous meetings with Medvedev. "I had to play my best tennis," De Minaur, runner-up at Los Cabos last weekend, said. "It's always a complete chess match between us, we're both adaptable and can play many styles of tennis. "He brings out the best in me, The way I played today was the best style of tennis that I could produce." De Minaur needed more than an hour per set to prevail against the world number three. The Aussie saved three set points in the opener and claimed the victory on his own second opportunity as Medvedev double-faulted. Medvedev repeated his complaint about the slow speed of the balls on the tour this season, but said his own game could have been sharper. "It was not a bad match but I definitely could have done better to win the first set," he said. "I mean, up 5-1 on the tiebreak, and then 6-4, 5-3 serving for it - I could have done better." Davidovich Fokina advanced in 97 minutes on his third match point against Mackenzie, who beat an injury hobbled Rafael Nadal in the second round of the Australian Open in January. The 37th-ranked Spaniard, who reached the final Monte Carlo last year, continued a strong week that saw him topple world number three Casper Ruud on Thursday. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

World number one Carlos Alcaraz knocked out of Toronto Masters; Daniil Medvedev also shown door

World number one Carlos Alcaraz produced a thrilling comeback to beat Hubert Hurkacz 3-6 7-6(2) 7-6(3) on Thursday and reach the quarter-finals of the Canadian Open as the Wimbledon champion continues to refine his game ahead of the upcoming U.S. Open. The swashbuckling Spaniard got off to a nightmare start as Hurkacz jumped out to a 3-0 first set lead in just six minutes en route to capturing the first set.

Trouble mounted further for Alcaraz when he was broken at the start the second but he broke back for 1-1 and from there began to pick up the pace on his forehand while the Pole's serving cooled off.

Alcaraz dominated the second set tiebreak and appeared in complete control when he whipped a sensational crosscourt forehand winner for a 5-2 lead in the decider that brought the Toronto crowd to their feet.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/trouble-mounts-for-fc-barcelona-as-ilkay-gundogan-among-several-players-yet-to-be-registered-with-la-liga-624306">Trouble mounts for FC Barcelona as Ilkay Gundogan among several players yet to be registered with La Liga</a>

But the natural showman got a little too cute in the next game, attempting back-to-back drop shots on match points that landed in the net and he was ultimately broken.

Hurkacz began to find his form again, breaking at love for 5-5 and holding to take a 6-5 advantage.

But there would be no escape from Alcaraz in the third set breaker where Hurkacz tightened up and committed some costly errors including a forehand that sailed long to deliver Alcaraz his 14th straight win.

Up next for Alcaraz is a quarter-final with one of two Americans - Tommy Paul or Marcos Giron.

Soon after the conclusion of the match, Scot Andy Murray announced that he had to pull out of his round of 16 match against Italy's Jannik Sinner with an abdominal injury.

<h2>FOKINA TOPPLES RUUD</h2>

Earlier, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina battled back from a third set deficit to beat Casper Ruud 7-6(4) 4-6 7-6(4) and deny the third seed a place in the Canadian Open quarter-finals.

Ruud was two points away from victory at 5-3 30-0 before Davidovich Fokina served his way out of trouble.

Still leading 5-4, the Norwegian had a chance to seal the match but was unable to do so, badly shanking a shot on break point to give new life to his opponent.

Both players held serve to send the contest to a tiebreak as the match crossed the three-hour mark.

Ruud dug himself into an early hole in the breaker with some tentative serving and poor forehands and Davidovich Fokina claimed the win with a drop shot.

"When I broke at 5-4, that gave me like a shot of tequila," the Spaniard said.

Up next for Davidovich Fokina is American Mackenzie McDonald, who reached his first quarter-final of a Masters 1000 tournament by dispatching Canadian Milos Raonic 6-3 6-3.

After crushing 52 aces across his first two matches, hometown hero Raonic's biggest weapon proved his undoing.

He managed just nine aces to go with six double faults, some coming at the worst possible times including on set point in the opener and a break point in the second that put McDonald up 2-0.

Despite the loss, Raonic, a former world number three who returned to the tour in June after a two-year absence due to injury, said the tournament was a positive experience.

"A lot of things to look back and be proud of. Happy with how the week went overall" he said. "I wish I could have been better on court today but you can't discredit what two years away does, right?"

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

World number one Carlos Alcaraz produced a thrilling comeback to beat Hubert Hurkacz 3-6 7-6(2) 7-6(3) on Thursday and reach the quarter-finals of the Canadian Open as the Wimbledon champion continues to refine his game ahead of the upcoming U.

World number one Carlos Alcaraz produced a thrilling comeback to beat Hubert Hurkacz 3-6 7-6(2) 7-6(3) on Thursday and reach the quarter-finals of the Canadian Open as the Wimbledon champion continues to refine his game ahead of the upcoming U.S. Open. The swashbuckling Spaniard got off to a nightmare start as Hurkacz jumped out to a 3-0 first set lead in just six minutes en route to capturing the first set. Trouble mounted further for Alcaraz when he was broken at the start the second but he broke back for 1-1 and from there began to pick up the pace on his forehand while the Pole's serving cooled off. Alcaraz dominated the second set tiebreak and appeared in complete control when he whipped a sensational crosscourt forehand winner for a 5-2 lead in the decider that brought the Toronto crowd to their feet. ALSO READ: Trouble mounts for FC Barcelona as Ilkay Gundogan among several players yet to be registered with La Liga But the natural showman got a little too cute in the next game, attempting back-to-back drop shots on match points that landed in the net and he was ultimately broken. Hurkacz began to find his form again, breaking at love for 5-5 and holding to take a 6-5 advantage. But there would be no escape from Alcaraz in the third set breaker where Hurkacz tightened up and committed some costly errors including a forehand that sailed long to deliver Alcaraz his 14th straight win. Up next for Alcaraz is a quarter-final with one of two Americans - Tommy Paul or Marcos Giron. Soon after the conclusion of the match, Scot Andy Murray announced that he had to pull out of his round of 16 match against Italy's Jannik Sinner with an abdominal injury. FOKINA TOPPLES RUUD Earlier, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina battled back from a third set deficit to beat Casper Ruud 7-6(4) 4-6 7-6(4) and deny the third seed a place in the Canadian Open quarter-finals. Ruud was two points away from victory at 5-3 30-0 before Davidovich Fokina served his way out of trouble. Still leading 5-4, the Norwegian had a chance to seal the match but was unable to do so, badly shanking a shot on break point to give new life to his opponent. Both players held serve to send the contest to a tiebreak as the match crossed the three-hour mark. Ruud dug himself into an early hole in the breaker with some tentative serving and poor forehands and Davidovich Fokina claimed the win with a drop shot. "When I broke at 5-4, that gave me like a shot of tequila," the Spaniard said. Up next for Davidovich Fokina is American Mackenzie McDonald, who reached his first quarter-final of a Masters 1000 tournament by dispatching Canadian Milos Raonic 6-3 6-3. After crushing 52 aces across his first two matches, hometown hero Raonic's biggest weapon proved his undoing. He managed just nine aces to go with six double faults, some coming at the worst possible times including on set point in the opener and a break point in the second that put McDonald up 2-0. Despite the loss, Raonic, a former world number three who returned to the tour in June after a two-year absence due to injury, said the tournament was a positive experience. "A lot of things to look back and be proud of. Happy with how the week went overall" he said. "I wish I could have been better on court today but you can't discredit what two years away does, right?" WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Canadian Open 2023: Carlos Alcaraz comes from behind to beat Hubert Hurkacz, seals quarters berth

canadian-open-2023

Canadian Open 2023, News on Canadian Open 2023, stories on Canadian Open 2023, articles on Canadian Open 2023, Canadian Open 2023 stories at Wion, Canadian Open 2023 news, Canadian Open 2023 latest news

canadian open-2023

Tennis: Jannik Sinner thrashes Tommy Paul to set up Canadian Open final clash with Alex De Minaur

World number one Carlos Alcaraz knocked out of Toronto Masters; Daniil Medvedev also shown door

Canadian Open 2023: Carlos Alcaraz comes from behind to beat Hubert Hurkacz, seals quarters berth