Stephens Roars Back to Qualify for Main Draw

Qualifying is taking place on Saturday at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, and with just a single round in the competition, it's win-and-you're-in for the 32 women competing. Two former Grand Slam champions will be in action, along with a trio of Canadians. 

Follow the live results here:

GRANDSTAND - starts at 11:00 AM

• [WC] Lois Boisson (FRA) d. [6] Emiliana Arango (COL) 61-, 7-6(4)
  • After each of the first four matches on the order of play had fast first sets, only Boisson managed to finish off her opponent in two. The former Roland-Garros semifinalist missed six break points in the second set that could have wrapped up the win fast, but she raced out to a quick lead in the breaker which was enough to make her the first woman on Saturday to qualify for the main draw.
• [2] Lanlana Tararudee (THA) d. Qinwen Zheng (CHN) 6-3, 6-4
  • The former Olympic gold medallist never managed to get anything going against Tararudee. The Thai won every big point, converting two of three break-point chances and never facing one on her own serve.
• Lucrezia Stefanini (ITA) d. [13] Sofia Kenin (USA) 7-5, 1-6, 6-2
  • Stefanini quickly stamped out Kenin's comeback bid after the former Australian Open champion raced through the second set to draw level. The Italian raced out to a 5-0 lead in the decider before serving it out at the second time of asking.

Not before 3 pm

• Sloane Stephens (USA) d. [ALT] Harriet Dart (GBR) 3-6, 6-0, 6-2
  • It took some time for the former US Open champion to heat up, but once Stephens got rolling, there was little Dart could do. The Brit did not hold serve after the first set as Stephens secured seven consecutive breaks of serve to reach the main draw.

COURT 1 - starts at 11:00 AM

• [16] Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva (AND) d. Marina Bassols Ribera (ESP) 6-0, 2-6, 6-3
  • This match featured 14 total breaks of serve out of 23 total service games, a 61 per cent break rate. The third set started with six consecutive breaks of serve before Jimenez Kasintseva held for 4-3. She broke Bassols one more time before serving out the win.
• [3] Tatjana Maria (GER) d. [WC] Isabella Marton (CAN) 6-1, 6-4
  • 18-year-old Marton, who got into the qualifying draw by winning a pre-qualifying competition for young Canadian players, struggled early, losing eight of the first nine games. The teen picked up her level after falling behind a break in the second but it was too little, too late against the German veteran who saved the only break point she faced in the final game. 
• [10] Polina Kudermetova (UZB) d. [WC] Avery Alexander (CAN) 6-4, 6-4
  • Alexander, age 16, refused to go away quietly, breaking Kudermetova back twice in the second set to stay alive. But a marathon ninth game was the difference as the youngster was broken for a third time and could not recover.

Not before 3 pm

• [1] Maya Joint (AUS) d. [WC] Ana Grubor (CAN) 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(7)
  • The match of the day at Sobeys Stadium pitted a pair of teens against each other. Grubor looked well on her way to victory multiple times, including when she was two points away from victory serving for the match at 5-4, 30-love before Joint roared back to force a decider. Grubor then led 3-1 in the third and had love-40 to reclaim her edge after Joint broke back. The Aussie then broke at 5-5 and served for the match, only for Grubor to break and force a tiebreak. In the breaker, the qualies top seed raced out to a 6-2 lead only for the Canadian to save four straight match points and then holding her own a 7-6. Joint saved that match point before finally coaxing an error from Grubor on her fifth match point.

COURT 4 - starts at 11:00 AM

• [14] Leolia Jeanjean (FRA) d. Lin Zhu (CHN) 206, 6-2, 6-3
  • Jeanjean trailed by a set and a break and was down a break early in the third, but the Frenchwoman dug in, winning the last five games in each of the last two sets to pull off the surprise comeback win.
• [4] A. Korneeva d. M. Stoiana (USA) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
  • Stoiana led by a set and a break at 4-3 in the second set but could not slam the door. Korneeva roared back, sending the match to a decider and then converting the only break point in the third to complete the comeback.

Not before 3 pm

• [8] Anna Blinkova d [ALT] Heather Watson (GBR) 6-2, 7-5
  • After getting through a fairly routine first set, Blinkova survived a chaotic second set that included 17 break points in 12 games and saw her blow a 5-2, 40-15 lead on her own serve and getting broken again when she served for it a second time at 5-4. The third time was the charm after Blinkova broke to go up 6-5 and managed to serve it out.
• Emerson Jones (AUS) d. [ALT] Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 6-7(3), 6-0, 6-4
  • Lepchenko held serve to open the match and proceeded to be broken in every service game until her third in the third set. Fortunately, she broke enough to steal the first set in a tiebreak but Jones settled down and defended her serve well in the second and third, fighting back to secure the final spot in the main draw.

COURT 3 - starts at 11:00 AM

• Aoi Ito (JPN) d. [7] Oksana Selekhmeteva (ESP) 6-5, 6-7(8), 6-4
  • Ito had two match points in the second set tiebreak to finish off the match in straights, but bounced back well after missing that opportunity. She broke three straight times to start the decider and managed to hang on.
• [9] Moyuka Uchijima (JPN) d. Himeno Sakatsume (JPN) 6-2, 6-4
  • In the battle of Japanese women, Uchijima had a read on her countrywoman's serve early, breaking the first two times Sakatsume stepped up to the line. She finished the match with five breaks, the last one coming late in the second set.

Not before 3 pm

• Kayla Day (USA) d. [ALT] Hanyu Guo (CHN) 7-5, 6-2
  • Day clung to her serve and was pounced when she got an opportunity, scoring breaks late in both sets including two during a five-game run that sealed the win.

Not before 5 pm

• Rebecca Sramkova (SVK) d. [11] Mananchaya Sawangkaew (THA) 6-1, 6-4
  • Sramkova got off to quick starts in both sets, breaking in Sawangkaew's first service game of each set and only faced one break point in the entire match, which she saved in the final game of the first set.

The WTA's best return to Toronto for the National Bank Open presented by Rogers Aug 1 to 13 at Sobeys Stadium. Get your tickets today!

Feature Photo : Mark Blinch/Wick Photography for National Bank Open