Naomi Osaka Advances to Semifinals at the National Bank Open
Tennis player Naomi Osaka demonstrated her power by advancing to the semifinals of the National Bank Open, after defeating Elina Svitolina with a resounding 6-2, 6-2. Osaka will face Clara Tauson, who previously eliminated Madison Keys in a match that ended with a score of 6-1, 6-4. This achievement represents Osaka’s best performance in a WTA 1000 tournament since she reached the final in Miami in 2022. After taking a 15-month break from tennis and giving birth to her daughter Shai in July 2023, the Japanese player is seeking her eighth professional title and her first since the 2021 Australian Open.Osaka reached the final of the ASB Classic in Auckland at the beginning of this season, where she faced Tauson, but had to retire due to an abdominal injury after winning the first set 6-4. In the other semi-final, Victoria Mboko, a Canadian tennis player, will face Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan. Mboko, who is participating in the main draw of the National Bank Open for the first time, will rise to the top 50 of the WTA after starting the year outside the top 300. The 18-year-old from Toronto has defeated five higher-ranked opponents to reach the semifinals, including Coco Gauff in the fourth round. Clara Tauson dedicated her victory to her grandfather, Peter, who passed away two days prior. “I really wanted to win for him today,” Tauson told the crowd in an on-court interview. Tauson revealed that she learned of her grandfather’s passing on Monday, a day after eliminating Iga Swiatek, Wimbledon champion. Tauson, who hasn’t lost a set in the tournament, remembered her grandfather as one of the biggest supporters of her career. “He used to train me a little playing tennis and took me to almost all the training sessions from my school,” said the 22-year-old Danish player. Keys failed to convert two break opportunities in the first game. After the American held her serve, Tauson won the next five games to secure the first set.I am very happy. I am also very excited. After Wimbledon (a third-round defeat), I was very disappointed, and then I put aside my expectations. And now we are here.
Naomi Osaka
It wasn’t my best performance today. She played incredible tonight. She played incredibly well, served really well. It was one of those things where I felt like I kept trying different things, and she was just beating me. When she serves like that, it’s going to be really tough to break her serve.
Madison Keys
