An early start time didn’t rattle Elena Rybakina during her match at the National Bank Open on Tuesday. Despite her opponent, Naomi Osaka, taking an initial lead, Rybakina fought back to secure a 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory, advancing to the semifinals of the WTA Tour event. The second-seeded player from Kazakhstan broke Osaka’s serve at 3-3 in the final set and maintained her advantage to clinch the win at Sobeys Stadium.

Reflecting on the challenging match, Rybakina commented, “It was a very tough battle, and I’m not sure how I turned it around.”

The match commenced earlier than scheduled following Belinda Bencic’s withdrawal due to a hip injury. As a result, fourth-seeded Coco Gauff progressed to the semifinals through a walkover.

The Rybakina-Osaka clash was rescheduled into an earlier time slot, captivating spectators with a competitive two-hour, 33-minute exchange. Rybakina, known for her powerful serves, will face Gauff in the semifinals on Wednesday.

In another anticipated matchup, Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, seeded ninth, will challenge seventh-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland in the semifinals. Both players secured victories in their quarterfinal matches on Monday.

The tournament’s final is set for Thursday at the $7.43-million US event. Bencic, seeded 12th, who notably won the tournament in 2015, displayed visible taping around her left thigh during her fourth-round win, expressing regret over her inability to compete.

Osaka, the 11th seed, initially broke serve in the match and held a significant lead in the second-set tiebreaker before Rybakina mounted a comeback. Despite Osaka’s efforts, Rybakina’s resilience paid off as she sealed the victory with her 15th ace, securing her third WTA 1000 semifinal appearance this season.

Looking ahead to the semifinals, Rybakina acknowledged Gauff’s fighting spirit, anticipating a tough battle. Stay tuned for the exciting matchups as the tournament progresses.