Overview:
Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka are set for a long-anticipated fourth-round showdown on the US Open, marking their first assembly at Flushing Meadows since 2019. Each former champions superior with third-round victories Saturday, renewing a rivalry that has matured alongside their careers.
Howard Fendrich, AP Tennis Author
NEW YORK (AP) — Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka arrange a high-profile showdown between two previous title winners in the U.S. Open’s fourth spherical with victories Saturday.
“Everybody will likely be watching,” Venus Williams mentioned. “That’s what tennis wants.”
Their assembly on Monday, with a quarterfinal berth at stake, is a rematch from 2019, when Gauff was a 15-year-old making her main-draw debut at Flushing Meadows and Osaka was the reigning champion.
Osaka received that one in straight units, then consoled a teary Gauff on the sideline and inspired her to talk to an Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd that was pulling for the younger American.
“I type of see her as a little bit sister,” Osaka mentioned Saturday, “so it’s type of cool to be taking part in her right here once more.”
She superior to her first fourth-round match at any main because the 2021 Australian Open by eliminating No. 15 seed Daria Kasatkina 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 at Louis Armstrong Stadium, after Gauff made it that far on the U.S. Open for the fourth consecutive 12 months with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over No. 28 Magdalena Frech at Ashe.
“It’s been a extremely lengthy journey,” Osaka mentioned throughout her on-court interview, “however I’m glad to be right here now.”
Osaka, who was born in Japan and moved along with her household to the USA as a child, joked to the Armstrong followers: “Can someone come to the match and cheer for me? It’s type of robust taking part in an American right here, however I hope you guys adopted me, as properly.”
A lot has occurred to each Osaka and Gauff since that headline-worthy encounter six years in the past in New York.
The No. 3-seeded Gauff, 21, is now a two-time Grand Slam champ, including at the U.S. Open in 2023, and an actual star.
No. 23 Osaka, 27, owns 4 main titles — together with on the U.S. Open in 2018 and 2020 — and has been ranked No. 1. She was among the many athletes on the forefront of conversations about psychological well being, opening up on the 2021 French Open about dealing with anxiety and depression, then taking a series of breaks from the tour.
“Naomi and I, we aren’t tremendous shut or something, however we’re positively pleasant with one another,” Gauff mentioned. “I help her from afar in all of the issues that she’s completed — on and off the courtroom.”
Gauff has received three of their 4 head-to-head matches since that unforgettable night time in Ashe.
“I keep in mind it was a troublesome second for me, as a result of it was a hyped-up match. … I suppose I put approach an excessive amount of strain on myself, considering I possibly had an opportunity in that second to truly do one thing, which I positively did, however I believe it was simply I felt extra expectation than I ought to than possibly perception,” Gauff mentioned.
“It might be a cool, type of, deja vu sort of state of affairs,” Gauff mentioned Saturday, “however hopefully it is going to be a unique end result.”
Venus Williams reaches the third spherical of ladies’s doubles on the US Open
Williams and Leylah Fernandez reached the third spherical of ladies’s doubles with a 7-6 (1), 6-1 win over Ulrikke Eikeri and Eri Hozumi. The 45-year-old Williams is taking part in doubles at a Grand Slam match for the primary time since 2022.
What else occurred on the US Open on Saturday?
No. 1 Jannik Sinner dropped a set in New York for the primary time since final 12 months’s quarterfinals however righted himself for a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory over No. 27 Denis Shapovalov. Different males shifting on included Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, who knocked off third-seeded Alexander Zverev, and No. 10 Lorenzo Musetti, whose opponent in an all-Italian match, No. 23 Flavio Cobolli, stopped because of a painful proper arm. Ladies into the fourth spherical included No. 2 Iga Swiatek, who rallied from down 5-1 within the first set to win, and No. 11 Karolina Muchova — a U.S. Open semifinalist in 2023 and 2024 and the girl who beat Williams within the first spherical this 12 months.
Who’s taking part in Sunday at Flushing Meadows?
Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula are among the many gamers who will likely be trying to achieve the quarterfinals by successful Sunday.