Rybakina overcomes Osaka in Toronto comeback to set up Gauff clash
Elena Rybakina defeats Naomi Osaka in three sets, while Coco Gauff advances on a walkover as the race for world number one intensifies.
Second-seeded Elena Rybakina has secured her place in the Canadian Open semi-finals after staging a significant comeback to defeat Naomi Osaka 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in Toronto on Tuesday. The match, which lasted two hours and 33 minutes, marked the first tour-level meeting between the two players and saw Rybakina overturn a set and a break deficit to advance.
Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon and 2026 Australian Open champion, appeared to be in control early on as Osaka held a 4-2 lead in the second set. However, the Kazakh player rallied to win the tiebreaker and subsequently defended four break points in the decider before breaking Osaka’s serve in consecutive games to seal the victory. Rybakina acknowledged the difficulty of the encounter, noting the challenge of facing a player she had not met for several years on tour.
Rybakina will now face fourth-seeded Coco Gauff for a spot in the final. Gauff advanced without playing a point after her opponent, Belinda Bencic, withdrew from their quarterfinal match due to a hip injury. The American, who has not dropped a set in Toronto, views the extra time as an opportunity to refine her tactics ahead of the US Open, where she previously claimed the title in 2023.
The upcoming semi-final presents a familiar challenge for Gauff, who defeated Rybakina in three sets at this same venue in 2022. Gauff is currently chasing her first title of the year after finishing as runner-up in Miami and Rome, and she enters the match with strong momentum.
Beyond the women’s draw, the tournament continues to shape the broader rankings landscape. Rybakina’s performance keeps her in contention to overtake Aryna Sabalenka as world number one later in the month. In the men’s draw, Brandon Nakashima will face Jodar in the semi-finals, while Shelton remains undefeated after defeating Jakub Mensik in straight sets.
The other women’s semi-final will see Iga Swiatek take on Elina Svitolina. All semi-final matches for both the ATP and WTA tournaments are scheduled to commence on Wednesday night from 11:00 pm local time.
