Bencic sets up Gauff showdown with dominant win over Eala

Toronto continued to be a happy hunting ground for Belinda Bencic. The former champion and No. 12 seed returned to the quarterfinals of the National Bank Open for the third time in Toronto and the fourth time overall, including one quarterfinal appearance in Montreal, after ending Alexandra Eala's seven-match winning streak in straight sets on Sunday night.

In the first meeting on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz between the pair, Bencic took control in the ninth game of the opening set, breaking serve before holding to close it out 6-4. She then swept aside Eala in the second set without dropping a game to complete a 6-4, 6-0 victory in 1 hour, 13 minutes.

The win was the 18th of Bencic's career at the National Bank Open - the most she has recorded at any WTA 1000 event. Her next-highest total is 15 wins at Indian Wells. She also improved to 15-4 on hard courts this season, a surface on which she has won eight of her 10 career singles titles.

10th consecutive win for Bencic over a left-handed player

It marked her 10th consecutive win over a left-handed player, dating to 2024, a statistic that surprised Bencic as well.

"I feel like it can't be coincidental, I don't think," the 29-year-old Swiss said. "It's weird for me as well because I really hate playing lefties and it's just not comfortable, like the entire match you are uncomfortable, but maybe I feel like because I have good timing, I'm kind of able to switch. think that's the only thing I can think of because I really don't like playing them."

Bencic also reached the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 event for the 13th time in her career and the second time this season after Miami, where she lost to her next opponent, Coco Gauff.

Gauff leads Bencic 6-2 in head-to-head series

No. 4 seed Gauff also dropped only four games in her 6-3, 6-1 victory over qualifier Alina Korneeva earlier on Sunday.

Gauff leads the head-to-head series 6-2, including victories in their last four meetings, all of which have come within the past 16 months. The last three matches have gone the distance.

"Obviously she's someone that always puts herself in the position to win the quarter finals and later on in the tournament, so obviously she's a great champion and she's very tricky to play against," she said. "I feel like I came close so many times but always kind of lost in the third set, but it's really challenging to play against her so I'm excited to try again and try maybe a little bit different or just challenge her again."