Rybakina sets Osaka quarters date
World No. 2 Elena Rybakina survived a huge scare to battle into the Canadian Open quarterfinals on Sunday in Toronto while fourth-ranked Coco Gauff cruised through.
Kazakhstan’s Rybakina recovered from 0-3 and two breaks down in the final set to beat Liudmila Samsonova, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, before American Gauff swept aside Russian teenage qualifier Alina Korneeva, 6-3, 6-1.
Rybakina will face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who eliminated home hero Leylah Fernandez, 6-4, 6-4.
Gauff reached the last eight in Canada for the first time since 2023 and next meets 14th-ranked Swiss Belinda Bencic, who won, 6-4, 6-0, in 73 minutes over 20th-ranked Alexandra Eala, a Filipino who won her first WTA title last Monday in Washington.
“My main focus today was let me try and close it out,” said Gauff, who has not dropped a set in Canada.
“Probably not the way I should be thinking but it worked today.”
“I’m proud of how the last three matches have gone and just knowing if I have to go the distance I’m ready, but obviously would prefer to cut it short if I can.”
Osaka broke in the seventh game of each set to advance in 82 minutes.
“It was all pretty good for me,” the 13th-ranked Osaka said. “She has a great attitude. She’s consistent and she will fight. She’s kind of like a bulldog.”
The Japanese star, who has never faced Rybakina, said sound groundstrokes were key.
“When I feel comfortable or at least confident in myself knowing I can run things down, I loosen up a lot,” Osaka said.
“I was catching my service toss a couple times. Hopefully in the next match I don’t do that as often. I need to be confident in myself, execute what I can and at the end of the day just try my best and whatever happens happens.”
