NEW YORK: Naomi Osaka produced a commanding performance to knock out third seed Coco Gauff 6-3 6-2 in a highly anticipated fourth round showdown between two former US Open champions on Monday.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka showed flashes of her old brilliance as she took control of the match from the start, while the 2023 champion Gauff struggled with her forehand and serve.
The result carried Osaka into the Flushing Meadows quarter-finals for the first time in five years and she will next play either Czech 11th seed Karolina Muchova or 27th seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine.
Monday’s showdown marked the first time that the two fan favourites had met in New York since their memorable 2019 clash, when the then 15-year-old Gauff lost to Osaka.