Naomi Osaka reaches fourth round of US Open
In New York, United States, Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka defeated Belgium’s Elise Mertens in the third round of the US Open and advanced to the tournament’s round of 16. The 13th-seeded Osaka beat the 23rd-seeded Mertens 6:3, 3:6, 7:5.
Match in three sets
The match was played under the evening lights at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Flushing Meadows. In the first set, the two-time US Open champion won three games in a row, took a 4:1 lead and closed out the set by holding serve thanks to a series of powerful serves.
At the start of the second set, Osaka played aggressively from the baseline and broke serve in the third game. However, she lost the next two games and surrendered her advantage, while Mertens levelled the match in sets.
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The closing stages of the deciding set
In the third set, Mertens capitalized on several unforced errors by Osaka and moved ahead. After the Japanese tennis player took a medical timeout, the momentum in the match shifted again. Late in the set, Osaka broke back, hit an ace to take a 6:5 lead, and won the match in the following game.
“Honestly, I can’t believe I won this match,” Osaka said after the game, thanking the spectators for their support. She also apologized for her behaviour on court, including an incident in which she threw her racket.
In the fourth round, Osaka will play against Elena Rybakina or Yulia Starodubtseva. The course of the match was reported by Channel NewsAsia.
