A spot in the next round is at stake on Friday, when Liudmila Samsonova goes up against Maya Joint in the Toronto round of 32. Liudmila Samsonova has won 7 of the last 10. Maya Joint is 4-6 across recent matches.
The serve is where this match separates: Samsonova has been winning 69.4% of first-serve points to Joint's 60%, and on hard that gap compounds fast. The edge belongs to Samsonova — real, but not the kind you take for granted at this level.