Elena Rybakina overcame a significant deficit to defeat Naomi Osaka in the Canadian Open quarter-finals, winning 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4. Despite committing a season-high 72 unforced errors, the Kazakh player mounted a comeback after trailing by a set and a break.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, initially dominated the match and held a 4-2 lead in the second set. Rybakina remained resilient, securing three consecutive games to force a tie-break. After evening the score, she maintained momentum in the final set, clinching the victory with her 15th ace following a pivotal break of serve.
Reflecting on the two-hour and 33-minute battle, Rybakina noted that she focused on staying competitive despite the error count. Osaka announced her withdrawal from the upcoming Cincinnati Open, citing fatigue. Rybakina is set to face Coco Gauff in the semi-finals, as Gauff advanced due to Belinda Bencic’s hip injury. Other semi-finalists include Iga Swiatek, who defeated Diana Shnaider, and Elina Svitolina, who overcame Ekaterina Alexandrova.
