Naomi Osaka Advances to National Bank Open Semifinals
Tennis player Naomi Osaka demonstrated her power by advancing to the semifinals of the National Bank Open, after defeating Elina Svitolina with a score of 6-2, 6-2. Osaka will face Clara Tauson in the next round, who previously eliminated Madison Keys with a score of 6-1, 6-4. The four-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one continues to show her best performance in a WTA 1000 tournament since reaching 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 career title, and her first since the Australian Open in 2021.Osaka reached the final of the ASB Classic at the beginning of this season and faced Tauson, but had to retire due to an abdominal injury after winning the first set 6-4. In the other semifinal, Canadian Victoria Mboko 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 on her way to the semifinals, including Coco Gauff in the fourth round. Clara Tauson dedicated her victory to her grandfather, Peter, who passed away two days earlier, during an interview on the court of the IGA Stadium.I am very happy. I am also very excited. After Wimbledon (a third-round defeat), I was really disappointed, and then I just put aside my expectations. And now we are here.
Naomi Osaka
Tauson learned of her grandfather’s death on Monday, a day after eliminating Iga Swiatek, Wimbledon champion and world number 3, with a score of 7-6 (1), 6-3. She described him as one of the biggest supporters of her career.I really wanted to win for him today. I really wanted to go out there and show my best tennis for him, and I hope he’s watching.
Clara Tauson
Tauson has not lost a set in the tournament. Keys failed to convert two break opportunities in the first game. After the American held her serve, Tauson won the next five games to take the first set.He used to train me a bit playing tennis and took me to almost all the training sessions from my school. It was difficult news yesterday morning when I woke up, but I think it’s for the best. He hadn’t been feeling well for a while.
Clara Tauson
It wasn’t my best performance today. She played incredibly tonight. She played incredibly well, served very 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 very difficult to break her.
Madison Keys
