Montreal (AFP) – Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka advanced to the fourth round of the WTA Canadian Open on Friday by dominating 22nd-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-2, 6-4. The 27-year-old Japanese star, twice a winner at the US and Australian Opens, will meet either two-time defending champion Jessica Pegula, the US third seed, or Latvian Anastasija Sevastova in Montreal’s round of 16.
Osaka is one match away from making her first quarter-final run at a Grand Slam or WTA 1000 event since she returned from maternity leave at the start of 2024. World number 49 Osaka broke on a double fault to capture the first set in 30 minutes. In the second set, Ostapenko netted a forehand to hand Osaka a break for a 3-1 lead but rallied and broke back in the next game on a forehand crosscourt winner.
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Osaka broke again for a 4-2 lead when Ostapenko netted a forehand and Osaka served for the match leading 5-3, but Ostapenko saved a match point on a forehand crosscourt winner and broke when Osaka sent a forehand beyond the baseline. The Japanese star responded by breaking Ostapenko at love in the final game, the Latvian netting a backhand to conclude matters after 72 minutes.
Osaka improved to 3-0 lifetime against the Latvian, having also beaten her at the 2016 French Open and last year’s US Open in the first round without dropping a set. Also advancing was Danish 16th seed Clara Tauson, who dispatched Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-3, 6-0. Later matches include Polish second seed Iga Swiatek against Germany’s Eva Lys, with the winner advancing to face Tauson. Britain’s Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open winner, takes on US fifth seed Amanda Anisimova.
© 2024 AFP
