Race to No 1: Elena Rybakina edges closer to Aryna Sabalenka
Several firsts await Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina after the world No 2 survived a huge scare to battle into the Canadian Open quarter-finals on Sunday in Toronto. The 27-year-old from Kazakhstan recovered from 0-3 and two breaks down in the final set to beat Liudmila Samsonova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 and will face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka for the first time in her career. Get…
Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina, currently world No 2, edged closer to the No 1 ranking after advancing to the Canadian Open quarter-finals on Sunday in Toronto. After a scare, the 27-year-old Kazakhstani recovered from 0-3 and two breaks down in the final set to defeat Liudmila Samsonova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Rybakina will now face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka for the first time in her career.
The victory is significant as it puts Rybakina just four points behind Sabalenka, currently the world No 1, heading into the US Open. If Rybakina wins in Toronto, she will gain 8,666 ranking points, leaving her just four points behind Sabalenka. Sabalenka's early exit in Toronto, following her quarter-final loss at Roland Garros and Round of 16 elimination at Wimbledon, has made the race to the top much more immediate.
However, Rybakina remains focused on improvement rather than the competition, stating that she is determined to win her upcoming matches.
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