Second-seeded Elena Rybakina mounted an impressive comeback to eliminate Naomi Osaka in the Canadian Open quarterfinals on Tuesday. Playing in Toronto, Rybakina overcame an early deficit to secure a 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 victory over the four-time Grand Slam champion in a match that lasted two hours and 33 minutes.
Osaka appeared to be in control early, breaking serve in the opening game and claiming the first set. The Japanese player extended her advantage to 4-2 in the second set before Rybakina’s momentum shifted dramatically. The Kazakh player battled back to force a tiebreaker, which she won to level the match. In the decisive third set, Rybakina demonstrated resilience by repelling four break-point opportunities before breaking Osaka’s serve twice consecutively to seal the match.
Rybakina will now face fourth-seeded Coco Gauff in the semifinals, with a spot in the final at stake. Gauff advanced without playing after her scheduled opponent Belinda Bencic withdrew due to a hip injury. The American, who won the 2023 US Open, remains undefeated through the tournament and has not dropped a set in Toronto. The two players have met once before, with Gauff prevailing in a three-set encounter in 2022.
Originally reported by Aljazeera →
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