Rybakina Survives Scare, Gauff Cruises at Canadian Open

Second seed Elena Rybakina battled back from a set down to defeat Liudmila Samsonova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in a hard-fought match at the Canadian Open. The Kazakh star faced a critical juncture in the deciding set, trailing 0-3 and losing her serve twice. However, Rybakina showcased remarkable composure, winning six of the final seven games to complete a dramatic comeback.

Rybakina's victory sets up a challenging quarterfinal clash against four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka. Osaka advanced earlier by defeating Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-4 in a match lasting 82 minutes, continuing her strong performance in the tournament.

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My main focus today was trying to finish the match and maybe not the right mindset, but it worked today.

Meanwhile, fourth seed Coco Gauff continued her impressive run, reaching the quarterfinals without dropping a set. Gauff comfortably defeated Russian teenager Alina Korneeva 6-3, 6-1. Gauff expressed satisfaction with her performance, stating her focus was on closing out the match, which ultimately proved successful, though she acknowledged a quicker finish would have been preferable.

In another match, Belinda Bencic booked her place in the last eight by defeating the Philippines' Alexandra Eala 6-4, 6-0. Eala's tournament run ends after her maiden title win in Washington last week.

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I am proud of the performance in the last three matches and I know if I need to play until the end, I am ready, but of course it is better if I can finish earlier.