TORONTO (Canada) — World number two Elena Rybakina survived a huge scare to battle into the Canadian Open quarter-finals in Toronto while fourth-ranked Coco Gauff cruised through.
Kazakhstan’s Rybakina recovered from 0-3 and two breaks down in the final set to beat Liudmila Samsonova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 before American Gauff swept aside Russian teenage qualifier Alina Korneeva, 6-3, 6-1.
Rybakina will face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who eliminated home hero Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-4.
Gauff reached the last eight in Canada for the first time since 2023 and next meets 14th-ranked Swiss Belinda Bencic, who won 6-4, 6-0 in 73 minutes over 20th-ranked Alexandra Eala, a Filipina who won her first WTA title last Monday in Washington.
“My main focus was let me try and close it out,” said Gauff, who has not dropped a set in Canada.
“Probably not the way I should be thinking but it worked. I’m proud of how the last three matches have gone and just knowing if I have to go the distance, I’m ready, but obviously would prefer to cut it short if I can.”
Osaka broke in the seventh game of each set to advance in 82 minutes.
“It was all pretty good for me,” the 13th-ranked Osaka said according to AFP.
“She has a great attitude. She’s consistent and she will fight. She’s kind of like a bulldog.”
The Japanese star, who has never faced Rybakina, said sound groundstrokes were key.
“When I feel comfortable or at least confident in myself knowing I can run things down, I loosen up a lot,” Osaka said.
“I was catching my service toss a couple times. Hopefully in the next match I don’t do that as often.
“I need to be confident in myself, execute what I can and at the end of the day just try my best and whatever happens.”
Bencic connected on 64.4 per cent of her first serves and won 72.4 per cent of those points in a 73-minute victory, her 10th win in a row over left-handed opponents.
“I hate to play against lefties so I’m surprised by this statistic,” Bencic said. “Very tricky.
“Maybe helped me I played a lefty the round before against Taylor Townsend. I got used to the serve a little bit. I wish I was a lefty too.”
