Canadian Open: Osaka Breezes Past Svitolina, Tauson Shocks Keys
Osaka romped to a 6-2, 6-2 straight sets win over the Ukrainian star in a fixture that lasted just under an hour and ten minutes to move into the final-four of the WTA event.
Naomi Osaka secured her place in the semifinal of the WTA Canadian Open on Wednesday with a resounding win over Elina Svitolina.
Osaka romped to a 6-2, 6-2 straight sets win over the Ukrainian star in a fixture that lasted just under an hour and ten minutes to move into the final-four of the WTA event.
Osaka is set to square up against Clara Tauson in the semifinal, after the Danish 16th seed posted a stunning 6-1, 6-4 win over reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys.
'I'm just having a lot of fun playing. I'm glad to be here," Osaka said.
'I think I'll be seeded in the US Open because I won my match. That was a really good goal for me. I'm just really excited," the four-time Grand Slam champion said.
'She's really tough. 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 said of her clash against Tauson.
Tauson dedicated her victory to her late grandfather, who passed away on Sunday while the Dane was puting it past six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek.
'Two days ago, my grandfather unfortunately passed away so I really wanted to win for him today," a tearful Tauson said after beating US sixth seed Keys.
'I was told the day after I beat Iga so I really wanted to come out and show my best tennis for him. Hopefully he's watching."
At the US Open hardcourt tune-up in Montreal, Tauson reached a significant milestone by defeating two top-10 opponents, Swiatek and Keys.
Tauson dominated the first set and capitalised on Keys' double fault to break serve at the start of the second set. The Danish player won 12 out of 19 points on her second serves, effectively keeping Keys at bay throughout the match.
Keys joined the list of eliminated seeds in Montreal, where the top five and seven out of the top 10 seeds were ousted before the quarter-finals.
Tauson, 22, is aiming for her fourth career WTA title following her victories at the 2021 Lyon and Luxembourg Opens, and this year's Auckland Open, where Osaka retired after winning the first set of their only WTA meeting.
Osaka seeks her eighth WTA-level title and her first since her comeback from maternity leave last year. Her last WTA-level title, outside the Grand Slams, was at the 2019 China Open.
Osaka broke for a 3-1 lead in the first set, exchanged breaks in the final three games to win the set after 38 minutes, and then dominated the second set, clinching victory when Svitolina hit a forehand wide.
Tauson is one win away from her second WTA 1000 final, having lost her first in February at Dubai to Mirra Andreeva. She dominated Keys in the first set by breaking in the fourth and sixth games, and Keys double faulted to give away another break at the start of the second set.
Tauson maintained her lead, never facing a break point in the second set, and held serve at love in the final game to secure victory after 70 minutes.
Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, and 18-year-old Canadian sensation Victoria Mboko will meet in the other semi-final on Wednesday. Rybakina won their only previous encounter 6-3, 7-5 last month in the second round in Washington.
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First Published:
August 06, 2025, 08:27 IST
News sports Canadian Open: Osaka Breezes Past Svitolina, Tauson Shocks Keys
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