Elena Rybakina Overcomes Double Break Deficit to Defeat Liudmila Samsonova in Toronto
Elena Rybakina, the second seed from Kazakhstan, staged a remarkable comeback in the Round of 16 at the National Bank Open, rallying from a 0-3 deficit in the third set to defeat Russia's Liudmila Samsonova with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. This victory marks Rybakina's fifth WTA 1000 quarter-final appearance of the season.
This win marks Rybakina's third consecutive victory against Samsonova, reducing their head-to-head record to 4-3 in Samsonova's favor, as Rybakina entered the tournament trailing 4-2 in their previous encounters.
Rybakina described the comeback as one of the most challenging matches she has faced this year. "I knew it would be a very tough match," she stated. "It's always a battle against Liudmila. It’s really tough to find words now, I’m so tired but I’m super happy. I was just trying to focus a point at a time. She’s also an aggressive player. If I don’t step in, she might be the first one. I’m super happy to be in the next round.”
Rybakina Credits Consistent Progress for Recent Success
When asked about her consistent performance at major events this season, Rybakina attributed her success to steady progress with her team rather than a single breakthrough. "I won’t say that I was really consistent," she admitted. "It wasn’t the result I wanted on grass, and then on clay I also wasn’t that successful on the big ones. But I think we’re doing a good job with the team. We did a good preparation. Slowly I see the results. I see improvement from match to match. I’m super happy. It gives motivation to work more and hopefully go as deep as possible in each tournament.”
Samsonova, currently ranked No. 70, had previously advanced to the fourth round by defeating Australia's Maya Joint 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-2, Czech Republic's No. 22 seed Barbora Krejcikova 6-1, 7-5, and Indonesia's Janice Tjen 7-6 (9), 7-5.
Rybakina has demonstrated a pattern of finding a way to win crucial matches, and her escape from a 0-3 deficit on Sunday further solidified her reputation for maintaining composure under pressure.
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