Second seed Elena Rybakina fought back from a set and a break down to prevail 4-6 7-6(5) 6-4 in her Canadian Open quarter-final against Naomi Osaka in Toronto on Tuesday. The 2022 Wimbledon and 2026 Australian Open champion will now meet fourth seed Coco Gauff for a place in the final, following the withdrawal of Belinda Bencic due to a hip injury.
In their first tour-level meeting, Osaka appeared to be cruising toward victory after breaking in the opening game and holding that advantage to secure the first set. The four-time Grand Slam champion surged to a 4-2 lead in the second set, but Rybakina rallied to win a tiebreaker and force a decider.
During the third set, the Kazakh successfully defended four break points before breaking Osaka’s serve in back-to-back games to seize control and seal victory in two hours and 33 minutes. Reflecting on the match, Rybakina said, “This first game of the match was really tough because it cost me the set. In the second I was just trying to stay closer to the score, even if I’m losing.”
Rybakina added, “It’s rare when you don’t play some players for so many years you’re on tour. She’s a great champion. She’s a fighter. I knew it would be a tough match.”
Earlier, Gauff advanced without playing after Bencic withdrew, giving the 22-year-old more time to prepare as she chases her first title of the year. The 2023 US Open champion, who has reached her 16th WTA 1000 semi-final, has looked strong in Toronto without dropping a set. Gauff previously defeated Rybakina in their only prior meeting, which also took place in Toronto in 2022.
The only previous meeting between Gauff and Rybakina also came in Toronto, where the American won in three sets in 2022.
Gauff finished runner-up in Miami ‌and Rome before her Wimbledon campaign ended in a tight semi-final defeat.
