Elena Rybakina rallied past Coco Gauff 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 on Wednesday to reach the National Bank Open final, where she will face former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in a clash between two of the leading contenders heading into the U.S. Open.
The second-seeded Rybakina recovered from a tight opening set and took control in the final two sets, completing the comeback shortly before 1 a.m. local time in Toronto.
The Australian Open champion had already fought back from a set down to defeat Naomi Osaka in the quarterfinals, and she produced another composed response against Gauff after the American took the opening set.
Gauff, the fourth seed, led 5-4 in the first set before closing it out 7-5. Rybakina immediately changed the momentum, breaking early in the second set and recovering from a 2-1 deficit by winning four consecutive games to level the match.
She carried that momentum into the deciding set, repeatedly putting pressure on Gauff's serve and capitalizing when opportunities appeared.
