An early start time didn’t rattle Elena Rybakina during the National Bank Open on Tuesday. Despite a strong beginning by her opponent, Rybakina staged a comeback to defeat Naomi Osaka 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 and secure a spot in the WTA Tour event’s semifinals. Breaking Osaka’s serve at 3-3 in the final set, Rybakina clinched the victory at Sobeys Stadium.
Following Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic’s withdrawal due to a hip injury, Coco Gauff, the fourth seed, advanced to the semifinals by walkover. The organizers announced Bencic’s withdrawal just before the evening match was scheduled to start on the center court.
The Rybakina-Osaka match was rescheduled earlier than planned and turned into a thrilling two-hour, 33-minute battle. Rybakina, a hard-serving player, expressed her struggle to adjust to the late-day light after playing her previous matches during the day sessions.
In the upcoming semifinals, Rybakina will face Gauff, whom she praised as a formidable opponent. On the other side of the bracket, ninth-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine will meet seventh-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland, both securing victories in their quarterfinal matches.
The tournament’s final, with a prize money of $7.43 million USD, is set for Thursday. Bencic, the 12th seed, who had significant taping around her left thigh in a previous match, expressed regret for not being able to compete as she tried everything possible to be ready.
Despite a strong start by Osaka in the match, Rybakina managed to stay positive and turn the game around. Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, had opportunities to break Rybakina’s serve but ultimately fell short, allowing Rybakina to secure her third WTA 1000 semifinal appearance this season.
In the men’s singles event, defending champion Ben Shelton advanced to the semifinals after defeating Jakub Mensik. Shelton, who hasn’t dropped a set in the tournament, praised his performance and mental strength on the court. He will face Learner Tien in the semifinals, while Brandon Nakashima and Rafael Jodar also secured their spots in the men’s semifinals.