Clara Tauson is scheduled to compete against Naomi Osaka, a winner of four Grand Slam titles, in the upcoming semi-final round. This follows Osaka’s advancement to the final four of the Canadian Open for the first occasion in her career.
Osaka triumphed over Elina Svitolina of Ukraine with a score of 6-2, 6-2 in the quarter-finals, marking her initial entry into a WTA 1000 semi-final since 2022.
Svitolina reported receiving death threats after her loss, attributing the “disgraceful” conduct to individuals who had placed bets on the match.
“Addressing all those who engage in betting: My identity as a mother takes precedence over my role as an athlete,” the 30-year-old expressed in an Instagram story, where she also shared screenshots of the offending messages.
“The manner in which you address women, particularly mothers, is deeply shameful. If your own mothers were to see these messages, they would undoubtedly be appalled.”
Osaka required slightly over an hour to secure her victory against Svitolina, who was seeded 10th.
The former top-ranked player capitalized on unforced errors from her opponent, achieving two breaks before maintaining composure to serve out the set after Svitolina managed a single break in return.
Following her conversion of two additional break points to clinch the victory in Montreal, Osaka commented: “I believe that I am simply enjoying the game immensely and I am truly delighted to be present here.
“She [Tauson] presents a significant challenge. I previously competed against her in Auckland earlier this year, and I was compelled to withdraw prematurely due to an injury. Consequently, I am genuinely thrilled to be in good health, and I anticipate a compelling match for all attendees.”
In the men’s competition held in Toronto, Taylor Fritz, the second-seeded American player, progressed to the semi-finals by securing a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory over Andrey Rublev, the sixth-seeded Russian player.
Fritz’s subsequent opponent will be his fellow countryman and fourth seed, Ben Shelton, who emerged victorious against Alex de Minaur, the ninth-seeded Australian player, with a score of 6-3, 6-4, thereby reaching his inaugural Masters 1000 semi-final.
