Naomi Osaka secured a seeded spot at the US Open as she powered into the National Bank Open semi-final in Montreal, sweeping past Elina Svitolina 6-2 6-2 in the last eight.
It continues the four-time Grand Slam champion’s best performance in a WTA 1000 tournament since reaching the final in Miami in 2022. The former world No 1 stepped away from tennis for 15 months towards the end of that season and had daughter Shai in July 2023.
Osaka had already climbed to world No 34 in the live WTA rankings prior to her straight-sets win over Svitolina that sets up a semi-final meeting with Clara Tauson, who eliminated sixth seed Madison Keys 6-1 6-4 in their quarter-final.
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Highlights of the National Bank Open quarter final match between Madison Keys and Clara Tauson
The victory earns Osaka a seeded spot at the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year, where the 27-year-old is a two-time winner – in 2018 and 2020 – among the top 32 players in the world..
“I’m really happy. I’m also really excited,” Osaka said. “After Wimbledon [a third-round loss], I was really disappointed, and then I just kind of let go of my expectations. And now we’re here.
“I find it kind of ironic, but I’m happy about it.”
Osaka got to the final of the ASB Classic final in Auckland to begin this season, where she also faced Tauson, but had to retire due to an abdominal injury after winning the first set 6-4.
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Canadian 18-year-old Victoria Mboko is also through to the final four in Montreal
Canadian teenage sensation Victoria Mboko takes on Elena Rybakina in the other semi-final on Wednesday.
The 18-year-old, who is playing in her first main draw at her home tournament in Canada, will rise into the WTA’s top 50 after beginning the year outside the top 300.
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Svitolina gets death threats after Montreal loss to Osaka
Former world No 3 Svitolina said she was subjected to online abuse, including death threats, after her loss to Osaka, blaming the “shameful” behaviour on disgruntled gamblers.
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Elina Svitolina lost out in the semi-finals of the National Bank Open to Naomi Osaka
“To all the bettors: I’m a mom before I’m an athlete,” Svitolina wrote in an Instagram story in which she attached screenshots of the messages that included death threats.
“The way you talk to women – to mothers – is SHAMEFUL. If your moms saw your messages, they’d be disgusted.”
Tennis players, like many athletes, often have to deal with the wrath of gamblers online, with a recent study undertaken by various governing bodies of tennis showing that angry gamblers were responsible for nearly half of all the abuse that was directed at players on social media last year.
Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia was one of those, saying after her loss at last year’s US Open that “unhealthy betting” was one of the top reasons players were targeted, taking aim at social media platforms for not doing enough to filter the abuse.
She had said that it hurt players, especially after tough losses when they were “emotionally destroyed” and she worried about how younger players would be affected.
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Fritz and Shelton set up rare all-American semi-final
In the men’s tournament, Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton both won their respective matches at the National Bank Open to set up the first all-American semi-final at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament in 15 years.
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Highlights of the National Bank Open match between Andrey Rublev and Taylor Fritz.
Wednesday’s meeting between Fritz and Shelton will be the first time since Andy Roddick beat Mardy Fish at the Cincinnati Open in 2010.
The second-seeded Fritz beat Andrey Rublev 6-3 7-6 (7-4), hitting 20 aces in the process, including one that finished off the match.
“It was clean,” Fritz said of his performance. “I’m happy with everything.”
Shelton, the No 4 seed, then beat Alex de Minaur 6-3 6-4 to see the 22-year-old secure a first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final. Fritz won their only previous meeting in 2023 at Indian Wells.
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Highlights of the National Bank Open match between Alex de Minaur and Ben Shelton.
“He’s a big-match player,” Shelton said. “He’s been carrying the flag for the United States in the big tournaments as of late. He’s clutch, serves well. We’re great friends.
“It’s a match that I’m really excited about.”
Roddick was the last American men’s player to win a Grand Slam when he won the US Open in 2003.
“I have no doubt that one of us is going to get it at some point,” said Shelton. “Who knows who it is? You guys just got to wait and see. American tennis is in a really good place.”
The other men’s semi-final will see top-seeded Alexander Zverev take on Karen Khachanov, with the final on Thursday.
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