MONTREAL — Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan secured her spot in the semifinals of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers after her opponent, Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, had to retire due to an apparent arm injury while trailing 6-1, 2-1. The quarterfinal match, held at IGA Stadium, concluded after 54 minutes when Kostyuk, the 24th seed, left the court in tears following treatment on her forearm.
Rybakina, the ninth seed, displayed strong performance by converting three out of ten breakpoint opportunities during the match. She is set to face 18-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko in the next round, who emerged victorious against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro from Spain with a score of 6-4, 6-2 earlier on Monday.
The National Bank Open, categorized as a WTA 1000-level event, will run through to the final on Thursday. Notably, the tournament has seen the early exit of all top five seeds, leading to an exciting and unpredictable competition as the semifinals approach.
This outcome demonstrates Rybakina’s resilience and skill as she advances further in the tournament, raising hopes for an exceptional performance in the coming matches. The emerging talent of players like Mboko also adds an interesting dynamic to the tournament, showcasing the bright future of women’s tennis.