World No. 2 and No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina battled past Liudmila Samsonova 6–4, 4–6, 6–4 in the Round of 16 at the 2026 National Bank Open in Toronto on 9 August 2026. The match lasted 2 hours and 49 minutes on Centre Court, with Rybakina recovering after dropping the second set to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
Rybakina took the opening set 6–4, establishing an early advantage in a closely contested match. Samsonova responded in the second set, matching Rybakina’s level and taking it 6–4 to force a deciding third set.
The final set again went down to the wire. Rybakina held her composure during the crucial exchanges and eventually closed out the decider 6–4, completing a three-set victory and advancing to the last eight.
The result continued Rybakina’s Canadian Open campaign and kept the second seed in contention for the Toronto title.
Standout Performances
- Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan): Defeated Liudmila Samsonova 6–4, 4–6, 6–4.
- Liudmila Samsonova: Won the second set to force a deciding set.
- Round: Round of 16.
- Seed: No. 2 Elena Rybakina.
- Result: Rybakina advanced to the quarter-finals.
Turning Point
After Samsonova levelled the match at one set apiece, Rybakina remained composed in the decider. She secured the third set 6–4 to survive the three-set battle and move into the quarter-finals.
Match Statistics
- Tournament: National Bank Open presented by Rogers 2026
- Category: Women’s Singles
- Round: Round of 16
- Date: 9 August 2026
- Venue: Sobeys Stadium, Toronto, Canada
- Court: Centre Court
- Surface: Hard
- Winner: Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan)
- Runner-up: Liudmila Samsonova
- Final Score: 6–4, 4–6, 6–4
- Duration: 2:49
- Result: Elena Rybakina advanced to the quarter-finals.