power from Rybokina before taking a 3-0 set two lead.

Mboko struck several powerful serves and backhand down the line winners to level the match at one set all as the crowd held up several signs reading "Allez Vicky!"

Leading 2-1 in the final set, Mboko took a medical time out to have her right hand and wrist taped after falling to the court in an earlier game.

Rybokina took leads of 5-3 and 6-5 and held matchpoint at 5-4 40-30.

However Mboko struck several powerful forehands while Rybokina turned in a group of forehand errors to level the set and enter a tiebreaker.

At 4 all, Mboko struck a powerful 83 miles per hour inside out down the line forehand winner to lead 5-4.

Rybokina hit two groundstroke errors to end the match.

Mboko has so far this week jumped 51 rankings spots to her live ranking of 34.

In Wednesday's second semifinal, the 27 year old Osaka defeated the 16th seeded Clara Tauson of Denmark 6-2, 7-6(9-7).

Hitting powerful serves and forehands, Osaka took a 6-2, 4-2 lead before Tauson hit back to reach a set two tiebreaker.

Tauson reached set point in the tiebreaker leading 6-4 after a combination of Osaka errors and powerful serves and forehands from Tauson.

However Tauson doublefaulted on her first set point before netting a crosscourt backhand return to reach 6 all.

Osaka struck a powerful down the line forehand winner to reach matchpoint at 8-7 before Tauson netted an inside out crosscourt forehand to end the match.

This week Osaka's ranking has risen from 49 to a live ranking of 24.

Osaka won four grand slam titles (Australian Open in 2019 and 2021, US Open in 2018 and 2020) before missing 2023 on a maternity leave.

Osaka, who struck 30 winners Thursday, has never played Mboko before.