Elena Rybakina defeated Naomi Osaka 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in their Canadian Open quarterfinal in Toronto on Tuesday, overcoming a set and a break deficit to advance to the semifinals, where she will meet fourth-seeded Coco Gauff.
Rybakina rallies from set and break down to defeat Osaka at Canadian Open
Elena Rybakina defeated Naomi Osaka 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in their Canadian Open quarterfinal in Toronto on Tuesday, overcoming a set and a break deficit to advance to the semifinals, where she will meet fourth-seeded Coco Gauff.
It was the first tour-level meeting between Rybakina and Osaka. Osaka broke in the opening game and held the advantage to take the first set, then moved to a 4-2 lead in the second before Rybakina rallied to win a tiebreak 7-5 and force a deciding set.
In the third set, Rybakina defended four break points and then broke Osaka's serve in consecutive games to secure the match in two hours and 33 minutes.
Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion and 2026 Australian Open champion, described the opening game as costly and said she focused on staying close to the score even while losing in the second set. She noted that Osaka is a 'great champion' and a 'fighter' and said she had expected a difficult match.
Gauff advanced to the semifinals without playing after her scheduled quarterfinal opponent, Belinda Bencic, withdrew with a hip injury. The walkover gives Gauff additional preparation time ahead of the US Open.
The 2023 US Open champion is into the 16th WTA 1000 semifinal of her career at age 22. Gauff finished runner-up in Miami and Rome this year before a semifinal defeat at Wimbledon. She has not dropped a set in Toronto.
The only previous meeting between Gauff and Rybakina took place in Toronto in 2022, with Gauff winning in three sets.
- Naomi Osaka is not quoted or given a response in the source.
- Coco Gauff is not quoted or given a response in the source.
- No details are provided on the nature or severity of Belinda Bencic's hip injury beyond the withdrawal.
- The source text supplied appears truncated; some material may be missing.
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