Canadian doubles star Dabrowski drops opening match at NBO Toronto

TORONTO — With her regular doubles partner nursing an injury and current partner primarily focused on singles, Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski kept her expectations in check at the National Bank Open.

The doubles star from Ottawa still nearly pulled out a win with Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova on Thursday but the American duo of Coco Gauff and Caty McNally saved a match ball before closing out a 3-6, 6-3, 11-9 victory.

“I still loved it, honestly,” Dabrowski said. “I didn’t have expectations, so I’m not really too disappointed.”

Dabrowski’s usual partner, Luisa Stefani of Brazil, skipped the WTA 1000 event to rest a sore elbow. The Canadian turned to Alexandrova — the No. 6 seed in singles — last weekend and they gave the Americans a stiff test despite an unfamiliarity with each other’s games.

“I treated this as a match that I wanted to win, but also as working on things to keep progressing in sort of my general development of my doubles game,” Dabrowski said.

The reigning U.S. Open doubles champion (with former partner Erin Routliffe) brought in a hitting partner to prepare for the tournament. She also played more on the deuce side of the hardcourt to get some reps in ahead of the season-ending Grand Slam.

Dabrowski, the world No. 3 in doubles, plans to regroup with the fourth-ranked Stefani later this month at the Cincinnati Open in the final tune-up for the major.

“It’s a whole new swing, it’s a whole new tournament,” Dabrowski said. “It’s someone that I’m hoping to make new great memories with.”

After the players endured a one-hour rain delay and a couple additional pauses due to drizzle, the Americans jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the match tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Alexandrova fought back with the Russian’s service winner giving them a match point.

Serving at 8-9, Gauff managed to land her second serve and McNally tied it with a volley winner. The Americans converted their first match point when a Dabrowski volley found the net.

Earlier at Sobeys Stadium, Alexandrova beat Australia’s Talia Gibson 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 to reach the fourth round in singles play.

She was joined in the Round of 16 by seventh-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland, who beat Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland 6-2, 6-1.

Third-seeded American Jessica Pegula also advanced with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Kamilla Rakhimova of Uzbekistan.

“I’ve had a lot of experience the past week with these rain delays,” Pegula said. “Three different warm-ups today was definitely not easy, but to be expected.”

Diana Shnaider, the No. 15 seed, posted a 6-3, 6-3 victory over fellow Russian and No. 17 seed Anna Kalinskaya. Tenth-seeded Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk topped 19th-seeded American Madison Keys 6-3, 6-1.

Shnaider and Belgium’s Elise Mertens had a 6-1, 3-1 lead on Leylah and Bianca Fernandez, sisters from Laval, Que., when rain forced another suspension of play in the evening.

Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus had a 4-2 lead on China’s Shuai Zhang when play was stopped.

Leylah Fernandez, the lone Canadian remaining in the singles draw, was scheduled to meet fifth-seeded Mirra Andreeva of Russia on Friday afternoon.

Play continues through Aug. 13 at the US$7.43-million tournament.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 6, 2026.