By Erik Gudris | Tuesday. September 8, 2020
Naomi Osaka posted a near-perfect performance to reach the US Open semifinals for the second time in three years.
Photo credit: Simon Bruty/USTA
Naomi Osaka once again showed why she is the oddsmakers’ favorite to win another US Open title with a near perfect performance to reach the semifinals.
The fourth-seeded Osaka defeated Shelby Rogers 6-3, 6-4 in their Tuesday night quarterfinal. It was Osaka’s first win against Rogers, who lead the head to head 3-0 before this meeting.
But that last win for Rogers came in Charleston in 2017. Since then, Osaka went on to win two major titles. Rogers herself entered into her first ever US Open quarterfinal having saved four match points against Petra Kvitova in the previous round.
“I felt like honestly she had the upper hand because I had never beaten her,” Osaka told ESPN’s Rennae Stubbs afterward. “And those memories are stuck in my head so yeah I consider this a little bit of a revenge.
“The Charleston match sort of left a bad aftertaste in my mouth so I’m glad I was able to have a more positive attitude today.”
Both players came out hitting the ball hard early and neither player faced a break point against their serves in the opening five games. That changed in the sixth game when Rogers committed several groundstroke errors to hand Osaka the first service break for 4-2.
Roger tried to match Osaka’s power from the baseline,but found herself striking more errors than the former US Open champion. Rogers managed to break back in the next game. But Osaka ripped a forehand return winner on break point at 4-3 to earn the break again.
Soon, Osaka closed the set 6-3.
Osaka continued her momentum in the second set; although Rogers did manage to come up the winner in one of the evening’s best points.
Osaka broke Roger to take a 2-1 lead in the set and, from there, the two-time major winner raised her level. Osaka elevated her first serve percentage and kept the pressure on her opponent to keep up.
Rogers did her part and forced Osaka to eventually serve for the match at 5-4. Yet, Osaka did not hesitate as in her next service game she fired off her seventh ace of the night for match point.
Osaka then closed out the convincing 6-3, 6-4 victory.
On the night, Osaka hit 24 winners and just eight unforced errors. Rogers for her part hit 23 winners and 27 unforced errors.
Looking ahead, Osaka spoke about facing American Jennifer Brady in the semifinals.
“She’s a really amazing player,” Osaka said of Brady. “She has the variety that I wished I had so I’m a bit jealous. But yeah she’s super nice and I think it’s going to be a really tough match. We’re both going to try our best.”