An early start time didn’t rattle Elena Rybakina at the National Bank Open on Tuesday. Despite a strong beginning from her opponent, Rybakina staged a comeback to defeat Naomi Osaka with a score of 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the WTA Tour event’s quarterfinals. Breaking Osaka’s serve at 3-3 in the final set sealed Rybakina’s victory at Sobeys Stadium.
The match was rescheduled earlier than planned following Belinda Bencic’s withdrawal due to a hip injury, allowing fourth-seeded Coco Gauff to advance to the semifinals by walkover. The organizers announced Bencic’s withdrawal just before the evening match was scheduled to start on the main court.
Rybakina and Osaka’s match was a back-and-forth battle that lasted two hours and 33 minutes, with Rybakina expressing the difficulty of the match and her surprise at turning it around. Despite playing her previous matches during the day, Rybakina struggled initially to adjust to the late-day light.
Standing at six feet tall, Rybakina, known for her powerful serves, is set to face Gauff in the semifinals on Wednesday, acknowledging the upcoming match’s challenge. At the same time, Elina Svitolina of Ukraine will compete against Iga Swiatek of Poland in the other semifinal, with the final scheduled for Thursday at the prestigious $7.43 million US tournament.
Osaka, a former NBO finalist, faced a tough battle against Rybakina, with the match going down to the wire before Rybakina’s victory. Despite Osaka’s strong start, Rybakina’s resilience and strategic play secured her spot in the semifinals. In doubles action, Italy’s Sara Errani and American Nicole Melichar-Martinez emerged victorious against Taiwan’s Su-Wei Hsieh and Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko.
In the men’s competition, defending champion Ben Shelton advanced to the semifinals after a convincing win over Jakub Mensik. Shelton, who has not dropped a set in the tournament, will face Learner Tien in the semifinals. The United States also saw strong performances from Brandon Nakashima and Rafael Jodar, setting up an exciting semifinal lineup in Montreal.