Svitolina ends Halep's title defence in Toronto semis

Elina Svitolina caused an upset, dispatching second seed Simona Halep 6-1, 6-1 after just 56 minutes in Toronto on Saturday.

Ukrainian fifth seed Elina Svitolina claimed a crushing win over defending champion Simona Halep to reach the Rogers Cup final.

Svitolina caused an upset, dispatching the second seed 6-1, 6-1 after just 56 minutes in Toronto Saturday.

Through to her fifth final of the year, after winning titles in Rome, Istanbul, Dubai and Taiwan, Svitolina will meet former world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the decider.

It was a gruelling day for Halep and Svitolina at the WTA Premier event, both players having completed quarter-final matches earlier in the day.

Looking to become the first player in 17 years to claim consecutive Rogers Cup trophies, Halep accounted for Caroline Garcia in straight sets, while Svitolina rallied from a set down to top Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza.

And Svitolina – who lost to Halep in the quarter-finals of the French Open – showed no mercy against her highly-fancied opponent from the outset, racing through the opening set.

Halep saved a match point as she broke for 5-1 in the second set but Svitolina was not to be denied in the next game, sealing her passage through to the final as the former fired a forehand into the net.