Elena Rybakina showed resilience in an early match at the National Bank Open, fighting back against Naomi Osaka to secure a 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory and advance to the tournament’s semifinals. The second-seeded player from Kazakhstan broke Osaka’s serve at a crucial point in the deciding set and maintained her composure to clinch the win at Sobeys Stadium.
The match was rescheduled due to Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic withdrawing from the event because of a hip injury. This withdrawal propelled fourth-seeded Coco Gauff into the semifinals through a walkover.
The intense Rybakina-Osaka showdown, which lasted for two hours and 33 minutes, was moved up in the schedule, providing spectators with an exciting back-and-forth battle. Rybakina, known for her powerful serves, managed to adapt to the evening match conditions after playing her previous matches during the daytime sessions.
Looking ahead, Rybakina is set to face Gauff in the upcoming semifinal showdown, acknowledging the tough challenge that lies ahead. On the other side of the draw, Elina Svitolina of Ukraine and Iga Swiatek of Poland secured their spots in the semifinals after winning their matches on Monday.
The final showdown is scheduled for Thursday at the prestigious $7.43-million US tournament, with players like Osaka expressing regret over missed opportunities in the quarterfinal match against Rybakina. Despite Osaka’s early lead and break-point opportunities, Rybakina’s determination and strong performance ultimately sealed her third WTA 1000 semifinal appearance this season.
In the men’s singles event, defending champion Ben Shelton continued his impressive run by defeating Jakub Mensik to reach the semifinals. Shelton, who remains undefeated in the tournament, expressed satisfaction with his performance and mental focus on the court.
Shelton is set to face Learner Tien in the upcoming semifinal clash, while other American players like Brandon Nakashima also secured their spots in the semis. Exciting matchups are on the horizon as the competition intensifies at the National Bank Open in Montreal.