Naomi Osaka moved into the semi-finals of the WTA Canadian Open on Tuesday with a dominant 6-2, 6-2 win over 10th seed Elina Svitolina.
The four-time Grand Slam champion, chasing her first title since the 2021 Australian Open, needed just 68 minutes to beat the Ukrainian star. Osaka will now face Denmark’s Clara Tauson, who upset Australian Open champion Madison Keys 6-1, 6-4.
“I’m just having fun on the court and I’m really happy to be here,” Osaka said. “Winning today means I’ll be seeded at the US Open, which was one of my goals. I’m really excited.”
Tauson, the 16th seed, dedicated her win to her grandfather, who passed away on Sunday. She had already stunned Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek earlier in the tournament, marking the first time she has beaten two top-10 players at the same event.
“Two days ago, my grandfather sadly passed away, so I really wanted to win for him today,” Tauson said, fighting back tears. “Hopefully he’s watching.”
Keys struggled with errors and gave up a key break on a double fault in the second set. Tauson, 22, kept control throughout and is now aiming for her fourth career WTA title.
Osaka and Tauson have met once before — in January’s Auckland Open final — where Osaka retired after the first set due to injury.
“She’s a really tough opponent,” Osaka said. “I wasn’t fully healthy last time we played, so I’m excited to face her again now that I feel good.”
