Naomi Osaka and Iga Swiatek have cruised into the quarterfinals at the US Open with dominating performances. While Osaka defeated Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-2 in their highly anticipated clash on Monday, Swiatek rallied from 3-1 down in the first set to beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-1.
"At the beginning, I felt like she was playing really fast," said Swiatek, who is seeking her second US Open title and seventh in a Grand Slam. "I wanted to find my rhythm, but later on I really felt like I was in my bubble and in my zone,” she said.
Osaka, who has made it to the quarterfinals at a major for the first time since 2021, will face No. 11 Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic for a spot in the semifinals. Swiatek is pitted against American Amanda Anisimova in the quarterfinals in a rematch of her 6-0, 6-0 victory in the Wimbledon final. No. 8-seeded Anisimova reached her first US Open quarterfinal by beating No. 16 Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-0, 6-3.
Sinner sends Bublik packing
In the men’s section, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner overwhelmed Alexander Bublik, the only player other than Carlos Alcaraz who has defeated him this season, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 to return to the US Open quarterfinal stage. Sinner took just 1 hour, 21 minutes, the second-shortest completed match in the tournament, to send Bublik packing. A first-round victory for Tomas Machac was a minute shorter.
Sinner had lost to Bublik in June in Halle, Germany, in a warm-up tournament before Wimbledon, but that match was played on a grass court. Trying to beat the defending US Open champion on a hard court is an altogether different ball game. Sinner has won 25 straight Grand Slam matches on hard court, including the last two Australian Open titles and his first US Open trophy last year. He will face fellow Italian No. 10 seed Lorenzo Musetti on Wednesday. The other quarterfinal will be between No. 8 Alex de Minaur and No. 25 Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Venus Williams enters doubles quarterfinals
After reaching the US Open women's doubles quarterfinals with Leylah Fernandez, Venus Williams now wants her old partner and younger sister, Serena Williams, to show up and see a match. Williams and Fernandez beat 12th-seeded duo of Ekaterina Alexandrova and Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-4 in their third-round match.
"She's so happy for Leylah and I, and she's given us advice. We just need her in the box. So, my message is, Serena, you need to show up,” Williams said. Williams and Fernandez will play against top-seeded Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova in the quarterfinals.
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