Elena Rybakina battles through difficult Toronto clash as Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka win

[p]Kazakhstan's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rybakina-elena/UDzElXdm/"]Rybakina[/a] recovered from 0-3 and two breaks down in the final set to beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/samsonova-liudmila/hIA4C9YT/"]Liudmila Samsonova[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/rybakina-e-UDzElXdm/samsonova-l-hIA4C9YT/?mid=QivlICam"]6-4, 4-6, 6-4[/a] before American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gauff-coco/f5BXmEH6/"]Gauff[/a] swept aside another Russian, teenage qualifier [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/korneeva-alina/OlQsiYlU/"]Alina Korneeva[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/gauff-c-f5BXmEH6/korneeva-a-OlQsiYlU/?mid=zcKKuSE8"]6-3, 6-1[/a] in Toronto.[/p][p]Rybakina will face a quarter-final against four-time Grand Slam champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/osaka-naomi/MDM4BKiA/"]Naomi Osaka[/a], who eliminated home hero [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fernandez-leylah-annie/8EI3pJOd/"]Leylah Fernandez[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/fernandez-l-a-8EI3pJOd/osaka-n-MDM4BKiA/?mid=O2zrqt43"]6-4, 6-4.[/a][/p][p]Gauff reached the last eight in Canada for the first time since 2023 and next meets 14th-ranked Swiss [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bencic-belinda/ObGlDvu0/"]Belinda Bencic[/a], who won [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/bencic-b-ObGlDvu0/eala-a-ppu9X7PH/?mid=l6BLpEd5"]6-4, 6-0[/a] in 73 minutes over 20th-ranked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eala-alexandra/ppu9X7PH/"]Alexandra Eala[/a], a Filipina who won her first WTA title last Monday in Washington.[/p][p]"[b]My main focus today was let me try and close it out,[/b]" said Gauff, who has not dropped a set in Canada.[/p][p]"[b]Probably not the way I should be thinking but it worked today.[/b][/p][p]"[b]I'm proud of how the last three matches have gone and just knowing if I have to go the distance I'm ready but obviously would prefer to cut it short if I can.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="4bbf4ddc-ac51-4ef4-b967-a2fbcc0ed132" url="https://x.com/WTA/status/2086562605372702922?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Osaka broke in the seventh game of each set to advance in 82 minutes.[/p][p]"[b]It was all pretty good for me,[/b]" the 13th-ranked Osaka said. "[b]She has a great attitude. She's consistent and she will fight. She's kind of like a bulldog.[/b]"[/p][p]The Japanese star, who has never faced Rybakina, said sound groundstrokes were key.[/p][p]"[b]When I feel comfortable or at least confident in myself knowing I can run things down, I loosen up a lot,[/b]" Osaka said.[/p][p]"[b]I was catching my service toss a couple times. Hopefully in the next match I don't do that as often.[/b][/p][p]"[b]I need to be confident in myself, execute what I can and at the end of the day just try my best and whatever happens happens.[/b]"[/p][p]Bencic connected on 64.4% of her first serves and won 72.4% of those points in a 73-minute victory, her 10th win in a row over left-handed opponents.[/p][p]"[b]I hate to play against lefties so I'm surprised by this statistic,[/b]" Bencic said. "[b]Very tricky.[/b][/p][p]"[b]Maybe helped me I played a lefty the round before against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/townsend-taylor/Y9jUuHka/"]Taylor Townsend[/a]. I got used to the serve a little bit. I wish I was a lefty too[/b]."[/p]