World number two Elena Rybakina survived a huge scare to battle into the Canadian Open quarter-finals on Sunday 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 another Russian, teenage qualifier Alina Korneeva, 6-3, 6-1 in Toronto. Rybakina will face a quarter-final against four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who eliminated home hero Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-4.
Rybakina willface a quarter-final against four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who eliminated home hero Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-4.
“She has a great attitude. She’s consistent and she will fight. She’s kind of like a bulldog. “I was catching my service toss a couple times. Hopefully in the next match I don’t do that as often.
Osaka broke in the seventh game of each set to advance in 82 minutes.
“My main focus today was let me try and close it out,” said Gauff, who has not dropped a set in Canada. “It was all pretty good for me,” the 13th-ranked Osaka said. 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.
