Montreal: Elena Rybakina survives slugfest vs No. 30 seed, reaches quarterfinal

Elena Rybakina struggled and complicated once again but today she managed to come out on top in a tight one and beat Dayana Yastremska 5-7 6-2 7-5 in just over two and a half hours of play for a place in the Montreal quarterfinal.

In the first set, the ninth-seeded Kazakh was up by a break and led 4-3 before collapsing and losing the opener. After dropping the first set in a painful way, the 2022 Wimbledon champion was more convincing in the second set as she bounced back with two breaks to force a decider.

After no breaks were seen in the first four games of the third set, Rybakina got one in the fifth game to go 3-2 up. In the following game, the No. 9 seed had two consecutive game points but blew them as Yastremska got the break back and tied the decider to three games apiece.

Later in the set, Rybakina managed to register a break again in the 11th game and to give herself a chance to serve out for the match. To no one’s surprise, the 12th game didn’t go without some drama as the Kazakh blew three match points – but then saved a break point – before realizing her fourth match point to seal the win.

It was the type of win that Rybakina needed

The week before Montreal, the Kazakh reached the Washington semifinal before blowing a 7-6 (2) 5-3 lead against Leylah Fernandez. A month earlier, the former world No. 3 failed to convert any of her four consecutive match points against Aryna Sabalenka in the Berlin quarterfinal. And two months earlier, the Kazakh lost to Iga Swiatek at the French Open despite leading 6-1 2-0 early on in the match.

Against Yastremska, it was another tight contest and a hard day at the office for Rybakina. But she managed to win and she is now set to play against Marta Kostyuk for a place in the Montreal semifinal.