Coco Gauff was sent crashing out of the National Bank Open in Montreal in straight sets by Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko.
The 18-year-old, ranked 85 in the world, needed just 62 minutes to beat the top seed 6-1 6-4 and book a place in the quarter-finals.
“Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole!” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today… It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.”
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Mboko made her WTA Tour debut in March and took Gauff to three sets in Rome in her second event.
“I was actually really thinking about it a lot during the match,” Mboko said. “I had flashbacks to when I played her in Rome a little bit. I just remember when she came out playing even better and stepped it up a bit better.
“I wanted to step my game up a little bit more and make sure I matched whatever she was producing, and I wanted to stay right there with her.”
She raced through the first set in 25 minutes, breaking the American three times.
The second set was a tighter affair which went on serve for the first 11 games.
Gauff failed to convert three break points throughout the set, Mboko seizing on her sole opportunity to close out the victory.
World No 2 Gauff said: “I think she’s going to have a lot of success on tour. I’m sure we’re going to have many more battles in the future.”
Rising star
Mboko is only the second wildcard in the Open Era to defeat the top seed at the Canadian Open after Stephanie Dubois in 2006 (versus Kim Clijsters)
She is also the youngest Canadian quarter-finalist at the Canadian Open since Helen Kelesi in 1987
Mboko, who began the season at No 333 in the WTA Rankings, came into the tournament at No 85. The win over Gauff sends her to No 53 in the live rankings. One more would bring her to No 24
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Mboko will face Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the last eight after the Spaniard beat China’s Lin Zhu 7-5 1-6 6-2.
Earlier, 24th-seeded Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine and ninth-seeded Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan set up a quarter-final clash.
Kostyuk beat McCartney Kessler 5-7 6-3 6-3, and Rybakina came through against Dayana Yastremska 5-7 6-2 7-5.
Popyrin, De Minaur and Zverev advance in Toronto
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On the men’s side of the tournament, which is being held in Toronto, defending champion Alexei Popyrin claimed his second consecutive win over a former Top 5 player when he rallied from a set down to defeat fifth seed Holger Rune 4-6 6-2 6-3.
Alex Michelsen reached his first quarter-final of a Masters 1000 event with a 6-3 6-3 win over fellow American Learner Tien.
Michelsen, seeded 26th, will face hard-hitting 11th seed Karen Khachanov, who upset eighth seed Casper Ruud in their fourth round match 6-4 7-5.
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Alex de Minaur, who triumphed at last month’s Washington Open, advanced to the quarter-finals over fellow Australian Christopher O’Connell via walkover.
Meanwhile, Argentine Francisco Cerundolo was forced to retire early into the second set of his night match with Alexander Zverev due to an abdominal strain.
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