News24.com | Naomi Osaka sails into US Open 3rd round

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Naomi Osaka sails into US Open 3rd round

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Naomi Osaka (Getty)
Naomi Osaka (Getty)

Naomi Osaka sailed into the third round of the US Open on Wednesday, demolishing Italy's Camila Giorgi in straight sets.

Japanese fourth seed Osaka needed only 1hr 9min to swat aside Giorgi, the world No 74, winning 6-1, 6-2.

Osaka, the 2018 US Open champion, will now play Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in the last 32 on Friday.

Osaka said she had set out to dominate her hard-hitting Italian opponent from out outset.

"I never want to depend on what the other person's going to do," Osaka said.

"Even if I play a power player, for me, my goal is to be the dictator. I think that I was able to do that quite well. I think when she was hitting really hard, I was able to neutralize. When I had the chance, I went for the ball that I wanted.

"I definitely played I think the best out of the two weeks that I've been here today."

The 22-year-old Osaka had entered the tournament with concerns over her fitness after withdrawing from the final of the Western & Southern Open last week.

Her weary body was given a thorough test in her first round match on Monday, when compatriot Misaki Doi took her to three sets.

However there was no sign of fatigue from Osaka on Wednesday as she romped to victory with tightly disciplined display.

In all, Osaka finished with 14 winners and only 11 unforced errors in the win.

Her powerful service game also looked in good order, with Osaka winning 79% of points on her first serve.

Osaka entered the Arthur Ashe Stadium wearing a facemask emblazoned with the name of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old African-American man who died in police custody last year after being placed in a chokehold and injected with a sedative.

"For me, I think when I heard about his story it was very hurtful," Osaka said of McClain. "I mean, they're all very hurtful, but just the fact of the character and the way that he was, just to hear stories about him, for me it was very sad. Today was very special in the way that I wanted to represent him very well."

Osaka, an activist against racism and police brutality, says she plans to wear different masks honouring victims of social injustice throughout the tournament.

Results from US Open tennis championship in New York on Wednesday (x-denotes seed):

Men's singles

Second round

Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Kyle Edmund (GBR) 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2

Jan-Lennard Struff (GER x28) bt Michael Mmoh (USA) 6-2, 6-2, 7-5

Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP x20) bt Mitchell Krueger (USA) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2

Ricardas Berankis (LTU) bt Steve Johnson (USA) 7-5, 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (7/1)

Denis Shapovalov (CAN x12) bt Kwon Soon-woo (KOR) 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2

Taylor Fritz (USA x19) bt Gilles Simon (FRA) 7-5, 6-3, 6-2

Filip Krajinovic (SRB x26) bt Marcos Giron (USA) 6-4, 6-1, 6-3

David Goffin (BEL x7) bt Lloyd Harris (RSA) 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4

Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x4) bt Maxime Cressy (USA) 7-6 (7/2), 6-3, 6-4

Borna Coric (CRO x27) bt Juan Ignacio Londero (ARG) 7-5, 4-6, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-3

Jordan Thompson (AUS) bt Egor Gerasimov (BLR) 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3

Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) bt Christian Garin (CHI x13) 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 7-5

Cameron Norrie (GBR) bt Federico Coria (ARG) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

Alejandro Davidovich (ESP) bt Hubert Hurkacz (POL x24) 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2

Adrian Mannarino (FRA x32) bt Jack Sock (USA) 7-6 (7/5), 7-5, 6-2

Alexander Zverev (GER x5) bt Brandon Nakashima (USA) 7-5, 6-7 (8/10), 6-3, 6-1

Women's singles

Second round

Caroline Garcia (FRA) bt Karolina Pliskova (CZE x1) 6-1, 7-6 (7/2)

Jennifer Brady (USA x28) bt Catherine Bellis (USA) 6-1, 6-2

Angelique Kerber (GER x17) bt Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) 6-3, 7-6 (8/6)

Ann Li (USA) bt Alison Riske (USA x13) 6-0, 6-3

Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) bt Marketa Vondrousova (CZE x12) 6-1, 6-2

Yulia Putintseva (KAZ x23) bt Vera Lapko (BLR) 6-3, 6-3

Varvara Gracheva (RUS) bt Kristina Mladenovic (FRA x30) 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-0

Petra Martic (CRO x8) bt Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 6-3, 6-4

Naomi Osaka (JPN x4) bt Camila Giorgi (ITA) 6-1, 6-2

Marta Kostyuk (UKR) bt Anastasija Sevastova (LAT x31) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5)

Magda Linette (POL x24) bt Danka Kovinic (MNE) 6-1, 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/4)

Anett Kontaveit (EST x14) bt Kaja Juvan (SLO) 6-4, 6-1

Shelby Rogers (USA) bt Elena Rybakina (KAZ x11) 7-5, 6-1

Madison Brengle (USA) bt Dayana Yastremska (UKR x19) 6-2, 6-3

Jessica Pegula (USA) bt Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 7-6 (7/1), 6-7 (3/7), 6-3

Petra Kvitova (CZE x6) bt Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) 7-6 (7/3), 6-2

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