In a thrilling encounter at the WTA Toronto Masters, world number two Elena Rybakina overcame a set deficit to defeat four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka. The Kazakh star, who is the reigning Australian Open champion, triumphed 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 in a match that lasted 2 hours and 33 minutes. Rybakina will now face fourth-ranked Coco Gauff in the semi-finals.
Rybakina's Remarkable Comeback
Rybakina, known for her powerful serve, fired 13 aces during the match. Despite a shaky start where she double-faulted to hand Osaka an early break, Rybakina rallied to win the second set in a tiebreak and dominated the final set, winning all 18 of her first-serve points.
"Super happy. It was a very difficult match," Rybakina said. "In the first set (I made) a few mistakes, a poor start. It was a really tough one but I'm glad I could turn it around, I don't yet know how, but I think my serve helped me a little bit."
Gauff Awaits in Semi-Finals
Gauff, a 22-year-old American and two-time Grand Slam champion, advanced to the semi-finals after her opponent, Switzerland's Belinda Bencic, withdrew due to a hip injury. Gauff defeated Rybakina in their only previous meeting, a 2022 third-round match in Toronto.
"She's a fighter," Rybakina said of Gauff. "I definitely need to bring my energy and serve well."
Poland's Iga Swiatek and Ukraine's Elina Svitolina will face off in the other semi-final. If Rybakina wins the Toronto title, she would move to within four ranking points of world number one Aryna Sabalenka, who lost in the last 16.





























