Rybakina ousts Osaka to book Toronto semi-final against Gauff

World number two Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan staged a remarkable comeback to defeat four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the final of the WTA Toronto Masters on Tuesday. The match lasted for 2 hours and 33 minutes, with Rybakina ultimately winning 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4. Rybakina secured the victory by winning all 18 of her first-serve points in the final set.

Rybakina admitted that the match was tough, particularly in the first set. She made a few mistakes and had a poor start, but managed to turn the match around. She attributed her success in the final set to her serve, stating that it helped her a little bit.

Olympic gold medalist Naomi Osaka, the Australian Open champion, had a walkover into her first Canada semi-final after Switzerland's Belinda Bencic withdrew due to a hip injury. Osaka, ranked 13th, had never won a title since 2021 and had previously lost to Rybakina at Toronto in 2022.

In their only previous meeting at Toronto, Osaka had defeated Rybakina. Rybakina praised Gauff's determination, saying, "She's a fighter. I definitely need to bring my energy and serve well." In their first encounter on tour, Rybakina stated that she had practiced a few times with Osaka, giving her more insight into her play style.

The other semi-final match will feature Poland's Iga Swiatek and Ukraine's Elina Svitolina.