Toronto (Canada) (AFP)
Japan's Naomi Osaka will resume Monday's World No. 1 spot in the WTA standings with defeat of Karolina Pliskova on Friday in the quarter-finals of the Toronto tournament.
The Czech, beaten by Canadian Bianca Andreescu 6-0, 2-6, 6-4, in 1h 49 min, can no longer double Osaka (current N.2 world), which benefits from the double missteps of Pliskova and the Australian Ashleigh Barty, released in the second round.
Andreescu, 19, will face in the half the American Sofia Kenin, who surprised the seeded N.6, the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.
Osaka face Serena Williams and her 23 Grand Slam titles in the quarterfinals, their first opposition since the US Open final last year, where the youngest won 6-2, 6-4 .
Williams and Osaka have faced each other twice, both in 2018, and the Japanese have each time imposed on the American.
© 2019 AFP