Khodair and Veis face off in the Montreal quarter-finals

Young Spaniard Rafael Nadal reached the quarterfinals of the 1,000-point Montreal Masters tennis tournament after defeating Czech Jiří Lehečka 6-3, 6-3. Nadal imposed his dominance over the match, whose start was delayed due to rain, and did not give his opponent any chance to get into the rhythm of the contest, securing his 33rd victory of the season.

The 19-year-old, ranked 15th in the world and runner-up at last week’s Washington tournament, has reached the quarterfinals in seven of his last eight events. He is set to enter the top 10 for the first time if he wins the Montreal title.

In the quarterfinals, Nadal will face Frenchman Arthur Fils (24), who defeated Britain’s Cameron Norrie 6-2, 7-6 (10-8).

Meanwhile, Italian Luciano Darderi used a shot of espresso during a changeover on his way to defeating Portugal’s Nuno Borges 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 and reaching the quarterfinals. This was not the first time Darderi has turned to his favorite national drink to boost his energy during crucial moments on court.

Darderi will face American Brandon Nakashima for a spot in the semifinals. Nakashima’s match against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech was paused for about two hours when the third set was tied at 4-4, before he eventually won 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 7-5.

In other news, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and third-seeded American Jessica Pegula were eliminated from the round of 16 at the 1,000-point Toronto Masters after surprising defeats.

Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, suffered a setback in her preparations for the US Open, aiming for a third consecutive title, after losing to Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-4. Alexandrova will face Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals. Svitolina defeated American Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-4 in 78 minutes.

In another surprise, Russian Diana Shnaider ousted Pegula with a 6-3, 6-3 victory, securing her place in the quarterfinals where she will meet Poland’s Iga Świątek.