Rybakina, Gauff race into Canadian Open quarters

World number two, Elena Rybakina, survived a huge scare to battle into the Canadian Open quarterfinals 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 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.

Osaka broke in the seventh game of each set to advance in 82 minutes.

The Japanese star, who has never faced Rybakina, said sound groundstrokes were key.

Bencic connected on 64.4 percent 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.-Aljazeera

Follow our WhatsApp Channel now! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q