Kamilla Rakhimova advanced to her first career WTA 500 semifinal after a grueling three-set quarterfinal victory over Australian qualifier Maya Joint at the 2026 Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Entering the main draw as a lucky loser, Rakhimova overcame a second-set stumble to seal a hard-fought 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 triumph on the outdoor hard courts of the Ariake Coliseum.
The opening set proved to be a test of resilience for Rakhimova. Maya Joint, a rising 20-year-old qualifier who had been showcasing phenomenal form throughout the tournament, started the match with heavy baseline hitting. Joint quickly established a commanding 5-2 lead, positioning herself to take the early advantage. However, Rakhimova refused to yield. Relying on her steady 74% first-serve percentage and exploiting Joint’s second-serve vulnerabilities, Rakhimova embarked on a stellar five-game winning streak. Striking clean returns and tightening her unforced errors, she flipped the momentum entirely to snatch the opening set 7-5.
The second set mirrored the competitive intensity of the first, with both players trading heavy blows from the back of the court. Joint adjusted her tactics, leaning heavily on her powerful serve to fire a total of 5 aces past Rakhimova across the match. While Rakhimova managed to break Joint’s serve multiple times, her own service games began to falter, hampered by 6 double faults over the course of the day. Joint capitalized on the window of opportunity late in the set. Showing maturity beyond her years, the young Australian broke through at 5-5 and successfully served out the set 7-5, forcing a deciding third frame.
Despite losing the second-set momentum, Rakhimova demonstrated superior physical and mental stamina in the decider. While Joint’s first-serve effectiveness waned, Rakhimova raised her game, winning an impressive 62% of second-serve return points. The lucky loser absolutely dominated the third set, yielding just a single game to her opponent. Converting 6 out of 12 total break point opportunities across the entire match, Rakhimova swiftly wrapped up the final set 6-1 to cross the finish line after just over two hours on court.
With this milestone win, the 25-year-old Rakhimova continues a dream run in Tokyo that already included a major upset over world No. 33 Ekaterina Alexandrova in the round of 16. Her quarterfinal triumph checks off a historic career breakthrough, marking her deepest run ever at a prestigious WTA 500 event. For Joint, despite the heartbreaking conclusion, the tournament remains a testament to her steady ascent on the WTA tour as she successfully navigated qualifying to reach the final eight.
Following her victory, Rakhimova’s path to the finals became clearer. She is set to face Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the semifinals. Fernandez advanced automatically following the sudden withdrawal of world No. 1 and top seed Elena Rybakina due to a neck injury.
