The Canadian Open has been a lively affair so far. There have been several high-octane matches, but the quarterfinal clash between Daria Kasatkina and Elena Rybakina takes the cake. The two women played till 3 am in the morning when one of them finally emerged victorious. As if the on-court battle was not enough, there was a bit of drama in the stands too.
The incident took place when Kasatkina was leading 3-2 in the second set. She was serving when she hit a double fault. This resulted in a fan screaming at the top of their lungs.
The scream was so loud that it was caught on camera too. Kasatkina herself turned around to look at the offending fan. Not only were the commentators disappointed, but fans on Twitter also slammed this behavior.
A few fans just screamed & cheered at the top of their lungs when Daria Kasatkina hit a double fault against Elena Rybakina.
It’s past 1:00 a.m.
Both women are exhausted. This behavior is as pathetic as it gets. pic.twitter.com/h4JOj2KsEQ
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 12, 2023
This is not the first instance of a fan being a nuisance. Bianca Andreescu was harassed by a fan at the Citi Open last week. She refused to play until the fan was removed by security.
While this incident in Montreal wasn’t as bad as Bianca’s, it is still shameful. A user openly wondered if this happened because Kasatkina is Russian.
Because she’s from Russia?? . . . sad, i hate seeing that behavior.
— Robbin Milne ☮️ (@RobbinMilne) August 12, 2023
Regardless of this behavior, both Elena Rybakina and Daria Kasatkina played well. It turned out to be one of those matches where the pendulum of victory swings one way and then swings the other way.
Elena Rybakina vs Daria Kasatkina: a match summary
The quarterfinal between Rybakina and Kasatkina was epic. Third-seeded Elena Rybakina had to fight tooth and nail for every point. In the end, it was absolutely worth it as she came out victorious, defeating the Russian 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (8).
The match saw 20 breaks of serve, and match points slipping through Daria’s fingers in the second and third sets. Rybakina also had to save a match point during the tie-breaker in the deciding set.
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Kasatkina had won the opening set and was leading the second when her serve was broken. Rybakina went on to win the next 5 games in succession. Kasatkina had an opportunity to win the set and close out the match on three separate occasions, but she squandered her chances.
Elena was leading 3-0 in the decider but Daria clawed her way back to even the scores. The match was a rollercoaster from start to finish. Rybakina finally hit the winner when the match had gone past the 3-hour mark.
This reaction by Elena Rybakina’s physio after her 3 am win is hysterical.
He sat in this seat for 3 hours and 27 minutes and did not leave Elena’s side once.
This is the look of a man who gets to go home 😂 (@StefanDuell) pic.twitter.com/a9Nw2ooPyx
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 12, 2023
The former Wimbledon champion did not forget to thank the crowd that had stayed till the end. “I’m destroyed, guys. Thank you for staying so late. It’s really amazing you supported us,” she said, to a big round of applause.
This is Elena’s fourth WTA 1000 semifinal. She went on to the finals in the previous three, winning two-Indian Wells and Rome. She will lock horns with Liudmila Samsonova next.