MONTREAL, Aug 6, 2025 (BSS/AFP) -Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka reached the semi-finals of the WTA Canadian Open on Tuesday with a 6-2, 6-2 defeat of 10th seed Elina Svitolina in 68 minutes.

The Japanese star, seeded 14th, will next face Danish 16th seed Clara Tauson on Wednesday for a place in the championship match in Montreal.

Tauson eliminated Australian Open winner Madison Keys 6-1, 6-4 to continue her best week on court.

"I'm just having a lot of fun playing. I'm really glad to be here," Osaka said.

"I think I'll be seeded in the US Open because I won this match. That was a really good goal for me."

Tauson said she played her victory in memory of her grandfather, who died on Sunday, the day she beat second seed Iga Swiatek.

"Two days ago, my grandfather unfortunately passed away," Tauson said after her win over sixth seed Keys.

"So I really wanted to win for him today."

The Danish player said she only got the news after her Sunday defeat of Swiatek, who won her sixth Grand Slam title at Wimbledon last month.

The Montreal tournament is a hardcourt warm-up for the US Open, which begins August 26 in New York.

Tauson beat two top 10 players in the same event for the first time in her career and reached her second WTA 1000 semi-final after Dubai earlier this season.

Tauson will be trying for a fourth career title after claiming trophies at Lyon and Luxembourg in 2021 and Auckland this year -- where Osaka retired after losing the first set of their only previous meeting.

"She's really tough," Osaka said. "I played her in Auckland this year but I had to stop because I was injured. So I'm really excited to be healthy this time."

The Japanese player, who returned from maternity leave last year, last won a WTA title outside of the Grand Slam in Beijing five years ago.

Osaka took control against Svitolina with a break for 3-1 in the opening set and closed out the opener after 38 minutes.

The second set went just as smoothly, with Osaka breaking twice more to reach the last four as her opponent sent a forehand wide on match point.

Tauson earned her win in 93 minutes, breaking early in the second set thanks to a double fault.

The 22-year-old converted four of 10 break chances and won 12 of 19 points on her second serve to advance.

Keys became the seventh of the top 10 seeds to exit this week, with none of the top five reaching the quarter-finals.

Tauson will be bidding to reach her second WTA 1000 final after losing in the Dubai title match earlier this season to teenager Mirra Andreeva.

The other semi-final at the event will be between 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko.

The Kazakh beat Mboko in their only previous meeting last month in Washington.