By Chris Oddo | Monday September 3, 2018
Naomi Osaka won the first installment of what may be a burgeoning rivalry with Aryna Sabalenko to reach the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open on Day 8.
Photo Source: Matthew Stockman/Getty
A battle of future megastars of the WTA Tour went the way of Japan’s Naomi Osaka on Day 8 at the U.S. Open, as the World No.19 edged World No.20 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in a hotly contested three-setter, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.
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The players split two one-sided sets on a balmy day on Louis Armstrong Stadium before taking a 10-minute heat break.
Then the real fireworks started as two of the tour’s most explosive hitters traded blows in the third set, with Sabalenka striking first, before Osaka struck back and then again struck critically to convert her fourth match point in the 10th game of the decider.
Sabalenka, who has come into her own as a talent in recent months, entered the match on an 8-match winning streak after winning her first career title two weeks ago in New Haven, while Osaka, this year’s BNP Paribas Open champion, had won her last 22 games in rounds two and three.
Both players fought furiously to execute the first strike in this matchup, which led to a lot of breathtaking tennis as well as plenty of nervous mistakes. Osaka finished with 22 winners against 32 unforced errors, while Sabalenka powered 28 winners against 42 unforced.
After falling behind by a break in the third set Osaka broke back immediately and then tightened up her serve considerably. She won 17 of 24 service points but did not face a break point in her final three service games.
Sabalenka had to battle to keep the match from getting away. She battled back from 0-40 down, saving four break points to hold for 3-all, then fought from 0-30 down to hold for four-all.
In the final game of the match Sabalenka again got level, saving three match points from 0-40 down, but on Osaka’s fourth match point Sabalenka’s eighth double-fault of the match marked the end of the pair’s first ever meeting.
After an entertaining contest like that, fans can only hope that we see many more.
Osaka moves on to face the winner of today's unseeded matchup between Lesia Tsurenko and Market Vondrousova.