WTA Toronto: Stearns is fifth American into last eight as Azarenka retires injured

American Peyton Stearns reached the quarter-finals of the National Bank Open when Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, the No 12 seed, retired injured.

Stearns, ranked No 53, led 6-4, 4-2 when Azarenka, ranked No 19, pulled out at the Aviva Centre on Friday evening.

The 22-year-old American is one of five Americans into the quarter-finals of the tournament and will play No 3 seed and countrywoman Jessica Pegula next.

Peyton Stearns won against Russian Anna Blinkova (6-4, 6-3) and No 7 seed Madison Keys (3-6, 7-5, 3-0 ret.) earlier in the tournament.

In the previous rounds of the Rogers Cup, the 35-year-old Belarusian beat Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (6-2, 6-2) and Belgian qualifier Greet Minnen (3-6, 7-5, 6-1).

Toronto WTA 1000, other last-16 results (Aviva Centre, hard, USD 3.211.715, most recent results first):

• Katie Boulter vs. Aryna Sabalenka
• Coco Gauff vs. Diana Shnaider
• Elise Mertens vs. Liudmila Samsonova: friday
• Amanda Anisimova beat Anna Kalinskaya (10): 6-2 ret.
• Jessica Pegula beat Ashlyn Krueger (Q): 6-2, 6-4
• Taylor Townsend (LL) beat Jelena Ostapenko (4): 6-2, 6-1
• Emma Navarro (8) beat Marta Kostyuk (11): 7-5, 7-5