Osaka, Swiatek Advance to U.S. Open Quarterfinals

New York, Sep 2 (AP): Naomi Osaka and Iga Swiatek made commanding advances to the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open, vividly showcasing the talent that had once propelled each to the pinnacle of women's tennis rankings.

Osaka took firm control of her match against Coco Gauff, winning 6-3, 6-2 in a much-anticipated encounter at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Meanwhile, Swiatek orchestrated a comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the first set to overcome Ekaterina Alexandrova with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-1.

"Initially, she was playing really fast," Swiatek shared, aiming for her second U.S. Open trophy and seventh Grand Slam title. "I wanted to find my rhythm, but later on I really felt like I was in my bubble and in my zone."

Osaka, making her first appearance in the quarterfinals of a major since 2021, is set to face 11th seed Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic, vying for a place in the semifinals. Swiatek will encounter American Amanda Anisimova in a rematch of their Wimbledon final, where Swiatek won 6-0, 6-0.

No.8-seeded Anisimova secured her debut U.S. Open quarterfinal spot by defeating 16th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-0, 6-3.

On the men's side, Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, seeded 25th, progressed by overcoming Andrey Rublev 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 in a match lasting just over two hours at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Auger-Aliassime notched only his second victory in nine encounters against Rublev, the 15th seed who vented his frustration by smashing his racket during the second set.

"Once I won the first set, I felt in control of the match," said Auger-Aliassime, now in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the fourth time at 25. "It’s a good win, considering our head-to-head record and his caliber as a player."

Alex de Minaur of Australia and Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti also secured their spots in the quarters with straight-set victories. De Minaur will next face Auger-Aliassime. Elsewhere, top-seed Jannik Sinner defeated Alexander Bublik, the lone player besides Carlos Alcaraz to beat him this season, with a 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 scoreline.

The defending champion, Sinner, will encounter Musetti, the 10th seed, on Wednesday. In women's doubles, Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez advanced to the quarterfinals after triumphing over the 12th-seeded team of Ekaterina Alexandrova and Zhang Shuai. Post-match, Venus hinted that it was time for her sister, Serena, to join in. AP

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