INTRIGUING and upset results continued to plague the women’s National Bank Open during the Round of 16, with proceedings also briefly interrupted by rain delays.

A couple of seeds fell on Day 6 of the event, with the biggest upset coming off the back of Camila Giorgi‘s great form. Giorgi had already ousted one seed in Belgian Elise Mertens this week, and backed up her last two days of action with another big win over Petra Kvitova. The Italian required 96 minutes to complete the 6-4 6-4 result, collecting a second career win over the Czech left-hander to lead their head-to-head 2-1, and despite Kvitova being more effective on serve, Giorgi was more efficient winning 67.6 per cent of her first serve points and clinching 56 per cent of the total points to claim her second Top 10 seeded upset in a week. A second Czech in Katerina Siniakova fell in a gruelling two-hour and 50-minute clash with Sara Sorribes Tormo, taking out the first set before the Spaniard earned the upper hand to run out with the 6-7(4) 6-0 6-3 result.

Kvitova and Siniakova’s seeded compatriot in Karolina Pliskova was much more fortunate in her own matchup, defeating American Amanda Anisimova 6-1 7-6(8) in a hard-fought battle. While Pliskova well and truly earned the upper hand early, her hard work was undone by Anisimova’s hunger and willingness to contest when the going got tough, trailing 2-5 in the second before fight back from the depths to force a tiebreaker. But momentum in the latter stages of the set was not enough to award Anisimova a small win and third set, as Pliskova closed out the tiebreaker and finished the match with a 77 per cent win rate off her first serve. Of the day’s remaining Americans, Coco Gauff earned a walkover from Brit Johanna Konta while the match between compatriots Danielle Collins and Jessica Pegula has not yet begun following rain delays.

The day’s two Belarusians both claimed wins over lower ranked opposition, earning an all-Belarusian quarter final in the process. Top seed Aryna Sabalenka claime the quickest win of the day, downing Canadian wildcard Rebecca Marino in 59 minutes, 6-1 6-3. Sabalenka fired off six aces to Marino’s four, and clinched 80 per cent of her first serve points throughout to earn the victory, saving all five break points and converting four of her eight chances. Meanwhile, eighth seed Victoria Azarenka overcame 11th seed Maria Sakkari, fighting hard to earn the two hour and 36-minute, 6-4 3-6 7-6(2) victory. While Sakkari was more effective off her first serve, winning 75.4 per cent of her first serve points compared to Azarenka’s 67.2 per cent, Azarenka was more efficient and consistent overall to steal the lead and the eventual third set tiebreaker.

The remaining clashes of the day are still in play, with the third set currently in progress between Tunisian 13th seed Ons Jabeur and second seed Canadian Bianca Andreescu. Whilst Andreescu claimed the first set, Jabeur fought well to control proceedings during the second to force a decider and currently leads 6-7(5) 6-4 3-0.  The clash between Collins and Pegula is set to begin after the Jabeur-Andreescu match concludes.

NATIONAL BANK OPEN ROUND OF 16 RESULTS:

[1] Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) defeated Rebecca Marino (CAN) 6-1 6-3
[13] Ons Jabeur (TUN) vs [2] Bianca Andreescu (CAN)
[4] Karolina Pliskova (CZE) defeated Amanda Anisimova (USA) 6-1 7-6
Camila Giorgi (ITA) defeated [7] Petra Kvitova (CZE) 6-4 6-4
[15] Coco Gauff (USA) defeated Johanna Konta (GBR) W/O
[8] Victoria Azarenka (BLR) defeated [11] Maria Sakkari (GRE) 6-4 3-6 7-6
Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP) defeated Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 6-7 6-0 6-3
Danielle Collins (USA) vs Jessica Pegula (USA)

Picture credit: Getty Images