Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka continued her impressive run at the WTA Canadian Open with a dominant 6-2, 6-2 victory over 10th seed Elina Svitolina to secure a spot in the semi-finals on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old Japanese star needed just 68 minutes to dismantle the Ukrainian and book a high-stakes showdown on Wednesday against Clara Tauson, the 16th seed from Denmark who shocked Australian Open champion Madison Keys with a commanding 6-1, 6-4 win.
“I’m just having a lot of fun playing. I’m glad to be here,” Osaka said after her match. “I think I’ll be seeded in the US Open because I won today. That was a really good goal for me. I’m just really excited.”
Osaka, who is chasing her first WTA title since the 2021 Australian Open, is making a strong case for a seeded return at the upcoming US Open, less than a year after returning from maternity leave.
Tauson’s Emotional Victory
Tauson, 22, dedicated her victory to her grandfather, who passed away just two days ago.
“Two days ago, my grandfather unfortunately passed away so I really wanted to win for him today,” Tauson said in an emotional on-court interview. “Hopefully he’s watching.”
The Dane is enjoying a dream run in Montreal, having already defeated two top-10 players — World No. 2 Iga Swiatek and World No. 6 Madison Keys — en route to the semi-finals.
Her win over Keys marks her second WTA 1000 semi-final appearance this year, after finishing runner-up to Mirra Andreeva in Dubai.
Osaka vs Tauson: A Rematch
Wednesday’s semi-final will be a rematch of their clash earlier this year at the Auckland Open final, which Osaka was forced to retire from after winning the first set due to injury.
“She’s really tough,” Osaka said of Tauson. “I played her in Auckland this year. I had to stop halfway because I was injured. So I’m really excited that I’m healthy.”
Osaka, currently unseeded, is eyeing her eighth career WTA title and her first non-Grand Slam title since winning the 2019 China Open.
Elsewhere in Montreal
In the other semi-final, Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, will take on Victoria Mboko, the 18-year-old Canadian sensation who has captured the hearts of home fans with her breakout performance.
Rybakina defeated Mboko in straight sets 6-3, 7-5 in their only previous encounter last month in Washington, but the stakes are much higher this time.
With the top five seeds and seven of the top ten seeds already eliminated before the quarter-finals, this year’s Canadian Open is proving to be one of the most unpredictable yet.
