An early morning start didn’t rattle Elena Rybakina during her match on Tuesday at the National Bank Open. Despite a strong beginning by her opponent, Rybakina staged a comeback to defeat Naomi Osaka 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 and advance to the semifinals of the WTA Tour event. Breaking Osaka’s serve at 3-3 in the final set, Rybakina secured the victory at Sobeys Stadium.
The match was rescheduled earlier than expected due to a hip injury forcing Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic to withdraw. Coco Gauff, the fourth seed, progressed to the semifinals with a walkover.
Rybakina expressed her relief at the hard-fought match, stating, “It was a very challenging match. I honestly don’t know how I managed to turn it around.” Despite playing her previous matches during the day, Rybakina had to adjust to the late-day light without a lengthy pre-match practice session.
In the upcoming semifinals on Wednesday, Rybakina, known for her powerful serves, will face Gauff, whom she described as a formidable opponent. The other semifinal will feature Elina Svitolina of Ukraine against Iga Swiatek of Poland, both having won their quarterfinal matches on Monday.
The final of the $7.43-million US tournament was set for Thursday. Bencic, the 12th seed, who had significant taping around her left thigh in a previous match, expressed regret at not being able to compete due to her injury.
Despite Osaka’s strong start, Rybakina managed to stay positive and eventually turned the match around with a decisive victory, securing her third WTA 1000 semifinal appearance this season. Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, had opportunities to close out the match but couldn’t capitalize, allowing Rybakina to seal the win with her 15th ace.
In the men’s singles event, defending champion Ben Shelton advanced to the semifinals after defeating Jakub Mensik 6-3, 6-1. Shelton, the fifth seed, praised his performance, emphasizing the importance of mental strength during matches. With a flawless run in the tournament, Shelton reached his 16th career ATP Tour-level semifinal and will face Learner Tien in the next round.
Brandon Nakashima and Rafael Jodar also secured spots in the semifinals, making it a strong showing for American and Spanish players in the competition. Jodar’s victory over Arthur Fils sets up an exciting semifinal clash with Nakashima, marking a significant milestone for both players in the Masters 1000 series.