Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner, moved into the fourth round of the WTA Canadian Open on Friday after throttling 22nd-seeded Latvian Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-4. The 27-year-old Japanese superstar, a two-time US and Australian Open winner, faces either two-time defending champion Jessica Pegula, the US third seed, or Latvian Anastasija Sevastova in Montreal’s round of 16. Osaka is within one match of producing her first Grand Slam or WTA 1000 quarter-final appearance since returning from maternity leave early in 2024.
World number 49 Osaka broke on a double fault to win the first set in 30 minutes.
Tense Second Set With Late Drama
Ostapenko netted a forehand to give Osaka a break for a 3-1 lead in the second set but came back and broke Ostapenko in the next game on a forehand crosscourt winner.
Osaka broke again to a 4-2 advantage when Ostapenko netted a forehand, and Osaka served for the match at 5-3, but Ostapenko saved a match point on a forehand crosscourt winner and broke when Osaka hit a forehand long of the baseline.
Osaka replied by breaking Ostapenko at love in the last game, the Latvian netting a backhand to end the match after 72 minutes.
Head-to-Head: Osaka vs Ostapenko
Osaka went to 3-0 in her lifetime over the Latvian, having also dominated her at the 2016 French Open and last year’s US Open in the opening round without losing a set.
Also through was Danish 16th seed Clara Tauson, who beat Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-3, 6-0.
Subsequent matches are Polish second seed Iga Swiatek against Germany’s Eva Lys, with the victor going on to play Tauson. Britain’s Emma Raducanu, who won the 2021 US Open, faces US fifth seed Amanda Anisimova.
