Katie Boulter’s run at the National Bank Open in Montreal ended with defeat by Coco Gauff in the second round.
The British No 1 built on her strong form on grass by winning two matches in qualifying and then defeating the home hope Rebecca Marino in round one, all without dropping a set.
Gauff, the sixth seed, was fresh from winning the biggest title in her career in Washington last week and was a real step up in class and the 19-year-old eased to a 6-2, 6-2 victory.
The American raced into a first-set 4-0 lead and, although the second set was more competitive, Boulter never really managed to get a foothold in the contest. The consolation is that the 27-year-old Briton will rise from her current career-high ranking of 72 and potentially break into the top 60 for the first time, depending on other results.
Gauff will face the Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova or the returning Caroline Wozniacki in the last 16.
The fifth seed Caroline Garcia was beaten 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 by the Czech Republic’s Marie Bouzkova while Sloane Stephens enjoyed a walkover after Victoria Azarenka withdrew through injury.
In Toronto, Andy Murray overcame a tough fightback from Australian qualifier Max Purcell to reach the round of 16.
The Scot won 7-6 (2) 3-6 7-5 in two hours and 47 minutes to set up a meeting with Italy’s Jannik Sinner for a spot in the quarter-finals.
There was little separating Murray and Purcell in the first set, each man breaking and breaking back en route to a tiebreak.
Murray was finally able to put some distance between himself and his opponent by wrapping up the first set, but Purcell refused to lie down. The world No 78 rebounded strongly in the second to force a third and deciding set.
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Purcell went up a break early in the third, but a crucial service hold down 4-2 was enough to spur Murray on to once again even things up.
Neither man was able to gain a decisive advantage as the set wound down, until Murray broke Purcell’s serve in the 12th game to win the match.
