Osaka finally overcomes stormy waters to sail past Gauff and into US Open quarters
NEW YORK :Naomi Osaka produced a commanding performance to knock out third seed Coco Gauff 6-3 6-2 in a highly anticipated fourth round showdown between two former U.S. Open champions on Monday.
After years of bitter disappointment at the year's final major, Osaka showed flashes of her old brilliance as she took control of the match from the start, while 2023 champion Gauff struggled with her forehand and her serve.
The result carried Osaka into the Flushing Meadows quarter-finals for the first time in five years and she will next play Czech 11th seed Karolina Muchova.
"The main thing I want to take away from this tournament is just smiling and having fun," said four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka, who triumphed in New York in 2018 and 2020 but had failed to advance past the third round in her last three attempts.
"For me, honestly, I have the most fun when I play against the best players."
Monday's showdown marked the first time that the two fan favourites met in New York since their memorable 2019 tussle when the then 15-year-old Gauff lost to Osaka.
The fans who had kept on chattering through the earlier match on Ashe fell silent as the two began their battle, with Osaka breaking Gauff from the baseline in the first game in a superb first set.
Gauff has spent many months trying to rebuild her serve and was let down by it yet again as she produced a double fault on set point, one of five across the match.
The mistakes began to pile up for the American, who handed Osaka another break point with an unforced error in the sixth game of the second set and vented her frustration towards her box during the final game, telling her coaches: "Nothing's working."
The pair embraced briefly at the net after Gauff bowed out with a shot into the net on match point and Osaka smiled in a subdued celebration.
"I'm a little sensitive. I don't want to cry. I had so much fun out here," said Osaka.
"A big thank you to my team. We've been through a lot, it hasn't been easy but they have been by my side."
'BELIEVE IT'
Every time Osaka has reached the last eight of a major, she has gone on to hoist the trophy and she will be hoping to maintain that track record in New York.
She won the last of her four Grand Slam titles at the 2021 Australian Open before withdrawing from Roland Garros to protect her mental wellbeing after disclosing her personal struggles with depression.
The Japanese player skipped Wimbledon and then left the U.S. Open in tears later that year after an unexpected third-round defeat, announcing that she would take a break from playing. She also took a maternity break for the duration of the 2023 season.
Having failed to progress beyond the third round at her first seven slams following her maternity break, she finally looked to have regained her mojo after reaching the Montreal final last month.
Her partnership with new coach Tomasz Wiktorowski appears to be working and Osaka said she never doubted she could get back to this stage in the majors.
"You have to imagine it, and then you have to believe it for it to actually come true," she told reporters after showing off yet another bejeweled Labubu charm she had named "Althea Glitterson," in honour of the late pioneer Gibson.
And, despite her struggles, Osaka said she never considered giving up the sport for good.
"To hang up my racket for me permanently would be a very scary thing," she said. "It's like breathing air to me."
