An early start time didn’t rattle Elena Rybakina during her match against Naomi Osaka at the National Bank Open. Despite Osaka’s strong start, Rybakina staged a comeback to secure a 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory and advance to the semifinals of the WTA Tour event. The second-seeded player from Kazakhstan broke Osaka’s serve at 3-3 in the final set and maintained her momentum to clinch the win at Sobeys Stadium.
The match was rescheduled earlier than expected due to Belinda Bencic’s withdrawal because of a hip injury. This advancement allowed fourth-seeded Coco Gauff to progress to the semifinals via walkover.
Rybakina expressed her surprise at turning the match around, acknowledging the challenging nature of the game. She had been accustomed to playing her previous matches during the day sessions and had hoped for more time to adjust to the late-day conditions.
In the upcoming semifinals, Rybakina will face Gauff, whom she praised as a formidable opponent. The other semifinal will feature Elina Svitolina of Ukraine against Iga Swiatek of Poland. Both players secured victories in their quarterfinal matches on Monday.
The tournament’s final is scheduled for Thursday, with the 12th-seeded Bencic expressing regret for not being able to compete due to injury. Osaka, a former NBO finalist, faced a tough battle against Rybakina, who showcased her resilience and powerful serves throughout the match.
Rybakina reflected on her mindset during the game, emphasizing her positivity and determination to secure the win. In the doubles semifinals, Sara Errani and Nicole Melichar-Martinez emerged victorious, while Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls secured a win in quarterfinal action.
In the men’s singles division, defending champion Ben Shelton advanced to the semifinals after a convincing victory over Jakub Mensik. Shelton, who maintained a perfect record in the tournament, will face Learner Tien in the upcoming semifinal match, while Brandon Nakashima and Rafael Jodar also secured spots in the semifinals.
