Abanda bows out to American, Stephens, no Canadians left in women’s singles draw

MONTREAL (CP) — Francoise Abanda considers U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens a role model and may have shown a little too much respect when they met on centre court at the women’s Rogers Cup.

The third-seeded Stephens had little trouble dispatching the last Canadian left in the singles draw with a 6-0, 6-2 victory on Wednesday.

Abanda said she played too defensively against Stephens, who jumped on that to move the 21-year-old around the court and set up winners.

“I didn’t think I had the right strategy, but Sloane is a player who can attack really well and defend really well,” said Abanda. “I would next time try to impose my game more, try to be more aggressive.

“She definitely was making me run, putting on a lot of pressure.”

After first-round losses by Eugenie Bouchard of Montreal and Carol Zhao of Richmond Hill, Ont., Abanda was the last Canadian standing. But it wasn’t a bad week for the world’s 191st-ranked player.

She got a wild-card entry when Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., withdrew with an injury, and then beat 44th-ranked Kirsten Flipkens in the first round.

“I think it was, overall, two good matches for me,” said Abanda. “I played two top-50 players. This year, it’s my first time playing top-50 players. I got one win, lost another one. I think it will just boost me. I really believe it will help me for the upcoming tournaments.”

Maria Sharapova, a former world No. 1, continued her bid to climb back to the top of women’s tennis with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over 12th-seeded Daria Kasatkina.