MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, and Canadian teen Victoria Mboko advanced to a WTA Canadian Open semi-final matchup with triumphs on Monday in the Montreal hard court event.

World No. 12 Rybakina of Kazakhstan led 6-1, 2-1 when Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk retired in the second set with a wrist injury.

Mboko, the shocker of the event, dispatched Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 6-2 by taking the final six games to reach her first WTA 1000 semifinal in pursuit of her first trip to a WTA final.

“I’m so excited to be in the semi-final here,” Mboko told the supportive home nation crowd.

“I want to thank everyone for your support once again. It has been unreal.”

Rybakina won their only prior meeting 6-3, 7-5 last month in the second round at Washington.

The top five seeds and seven of the top 10 seeds were ousted before the quarter-finals, opening the door for such upstarts as 18-year-old Mboko, who eliminated top seed Coco Gauff.

World No. 85 Mboko, who began the year raked 333rd in the world, has ensured herself a jump into the top 50 for the first time in her career next week.

Mboko broke 51st-ranked Bouzas Maneiro for a 5-3 lead. The Spaniard broke back in the ninth game only to drop the first set after 43 minutes when Mboko broke again.

Bouzas Maneiro broke to open the second set then held but Mboko never dropped a game from there, taking the match after 77 minutes when the Spaniard sent a backhand beyond the baseline.

The crowd, which chanted “it’s not over” in French after the match, has been the best part of the amazing run, Mboko said.

“I train here (in Canada) and it’s always a great opportunity to be here,” Mboko said.