An early start time didn’t unsettle Elena Rybakina during her match against Naomi Osaka at the National Bank Open on Tuesday. Rybakina staged a comeback to secure a 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory over Osaka, advancing to the semifinals of the WTA Tour event. Breaking Osaka’s serve at 3-3 in the final set, Rybakina clinched the win at Sobeys Stadium.
Following Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic’s withdrawal due to a hip injury, Coco Gauff, the fourth seed, progressed to the semifinals through a walkover. The withdrawal was confirmed just before the evening match was scheduled to start on the center court.
The Rybakina-Osaka match was rescheduled to an earlier time slot and turned out to be a thrilling encounter lasting two hours and 33 minutes. Rybakina, a strong server, expressed the challenge of adjusting to the late-day light due to her previous daytime matches.
Rybakina is set to face Gauff in the semifinals, acknowledging the tough battle ahead. The other semifinal features Elina Svitolina of Ukraine against Iga Swiatek of Poland. The final is slated for Thursday at the $7.43-million US tournament.
Despite Osaka’s strong start, Rybakina managed to turn the match around, holding her nerve in crucial moments. Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, had opportunities to break Rybakina but couldn’t capitalize, leading to Rybakina’s victory with her 15th ace.
In the men’s singles, defending champion Ben Shelton advanced to the semifinals after a commanding win over Jakub Mensik. Shelton, who hasn’t dropped a set in the tournament, will face Learner Tien in the semifinals. The United States also saw Brandon Nakashima secure a semifinal spot with a convincing win over Luciano Darderi.
Rafael Jodar of Spain secured a spot in the semifinals by defeating Arthur Fils of France, setting up a clash with Nakashima in what will be a milestone Masters 1000 semifinal for both players.