58 winners, 58 errors: Rybakina delivers mixed bag to beat Kasatkina in Toronto

No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina kicked off her Hard-Court Swing with a mixed bag of a performance at the National Bank Open, defeating Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in 2 hours and 33 minutes to advance to the third round.

The Australian Open champion opened the match by slamming six consecutive winners, eventually finding 58 in total -- including 15 aces. However, she matched that with a tally of 58 unforced errors, of which 16 were double faults -- including two in a row to lose the second set, and three as she served for the match in the decider.

"I want to see better serve, the percentage," Rybakina said to press. "Today in key moments it worked, but still the percentage is quite low. Since it's my advantage, it's better if it's working, and you feel more confident, of course. I'm still adapting a bit to the jet lag and everything, so maybe energy level could be better.

"She's a tough opponent. And for the first match it wasn't too bad, but of course I want to improve."

When asked what leads specifically to a lower first-serve percentage, Rybakina pointed to a combination of the motion, the legs, the conditions and more. Wednesday, that percentage was just over 50%. 

"It's a bit of everything," Rybakina said. "It's just the motion itself, finding this correct trait. And the toss, when it's windy you are trying to adapt, same as if the sun is really bothering. So you're trying to always find a way. It might also make it worse. All the small details which I need to pay attention.

"Then of course the push of the legs. When the ball is getting old, it's more difficult to control. The ball by itself is light and it's flying a lot. So all these little things I need to focus on, and when it comes together it's a good serve."

Nonetheless, Rybakina was just about able to dial in when it mattered, converting her second match point with a one-two punch to set up a meeting with No. 28 seed Ann Li, who defeated wild card Kayla Cross 7-6(2), 6-3.

Here are the key takeaways from the Kazakhstani's hard-fought win:

The Hard-Court Swing has rarely been a happy hunting ground for Rybakina

Rybakina's prowess on hard courts is indisputable. Two of her three Grand Slam finals have come at the Australian Open, including her second major crown this January. Five of her six WTA 1000 finals have also been on hard courts.

However, her best results on the surface have historically come in the first third of the year in Australia, the Middle East and the Sunshine Swing. Last year, she also put together a surge in the Asian Swing to qualify for the WTA Finals Riyadh. But Rybakina has yet to reach a final during the summer Hard-Court Swing, nor has she progressed beyond the fourth round at the US Open.

Moreover, the World No. 2 is seeking to regain form more generally in 2026. After compiling a spectacular 25-5 record through her Stuttgart title in April, she is just 10-6 since, including first-week losses at Roland Garros to Yuliia Starodubtseva and at Wimbledon to Elise Mertens.

In her on-court interview, Rybakina said that she has enjoyed positive training sessions in Slovakia since Wimbledon, but acknowledged that she had not been able to show the results in her match. At this point, the opportunity for more court time was the main positive.

"I feel I can play good on all the surfaces," Rybakina said. "This time maybe grass wasn't the result I wanted, and clay also, but I don't think it's because of the surface or any of that. I think it's mostly about my preparation and the mentality I go to play the tournament."

"It's a different preparation to all the surfaces, but I'm happy to be on hard court."

Kasatkina also seeking a return to form

Kasatkina has frequently been a testing opponent for Rybakina -- she owns two wins in their six-match rivalry, and Rybakina had to save match point to win their only previous meeting in Canada 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(8) in the 2023 Montreal quarterfinals. But the Australian -- who missed two months of the season due to a hip injury -- is now ranked No. 61, some distance off the career high of No. 8 that she set in 2022.

Kasatkina had already pulled off a remarkable first-round comeback from 6-1, 4-1 down to defeat Wang Xinyu 1-6, 7-6(5), 7-5, and she also competed grittily against Rybakina. A win would have been her first victory over a Top 10 opponent since defeating Paula Badosa at Roland Garros 2025, and her first over a Top 5 opponent since beating Jessica Pegula at Charleston 2024. Kasatkina narrowly fell short of that, but she can be buoyed by her overall performance in Toronto.