Osaka races past Rogers into US Open semifinals

NEW YORK, NY, USA -- 2018 champion Naomi Osaka of Japan advanced to the US Open semifinals for the second time in her career, ousting Shelby Rogers of the United States, 6-3, 6-4, in a Tuesday night tilt on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

"I'm aware that the opponents that I play from now on are going to be very tough," 4th-seeded Osaka said, in her post-match press conference. "For me, I think the last two Grand Slams, everything happened so fast, I wasn't really in the moment. I'm just really happy to be in the semis, and hopefully I can keep going."

In a hard-hitting dust-up, World No.9 Osaka had to upend a dire head-to-head record against Rogers to get the win, having lost all three of her previous matches against the American in straight sets. However, Osaka did in fact turn the tables in their first meeting since 2017, as she got on the board in their rivalry with the 79-minute victory.

Former World No.1 Osaka, who won the first of her two consecutive Grand Slam titles in New York two years ago, fired 24 winners, including seven aces, and kept her performance pristine with only eight unforced errors. The Japanese player was nearly peerless off of her first serve, winning 83 percent of points when she got that shot into play.

"The big thing for me was to be the aggressor and to be okay with making unforced errors," said Osaka. "Apparently I didn't make that many. But, yeah, just to accept the unforced errors because I know that I'm going for shots."

World No.93 Rogers, surging back up the rankings after being off tour due to knee surgery for 12 months during 2018 and 2019, had big wins over No.11 seed Elena Rybakina and No.6 seed Petra Kvitova earlier in the event, but fell to Osaka in her second career Grand Slam quarterfinal after 2016 Roland Garros. Rogers had 23 winners but was undone by 27 unforced errors on the night.

Osaka will now face another powerful American in the final four, when she takes on No.28 seed Jennifer Brady. One of the hottest players of the summer, Brady, who won her first career WTA singles title in Lexington last month, dispatched No.23 seed Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan earlier on Tuesday to reach her first-ever Grand Slam semifinal.

Osaka and Brady have split their two previous encounters. Brady won their first meeting 6-4, 6-4, at the ITF Challenger event in New Braunfels, TX, USA, in 2014. Osaka avenged that loss, also by a 6-4, 6-4 scoreline, in Charleston in 2018.

"I don't feel like the favorite, weirdly enough," Osaka said about her upcoming match with Brady. "I just feel like I'm going into a match with a really talented player, which is all of my previous matches anyway. For me, I remember watching her. I watched her match against Putintseva earlier today. I know she's a big threat."

Rogers pulled herself out of a 0-30 hole at 2-1 but then got engaged in another lengthy service game at 3-2, as Osaka pummeled flat shots in an attempt to wear her opponent down. In an eight-minute, three-deuce game, Osaka eventually converted her second break point to lead 4-2.

With a 40-15 lead in the next game, Osaka was on a roll, but Rogers caught fire almost out of nowhere, cracking multiple forehand return winners to steer herself to her first break of the night and get back on serve.

However, Osaka regrouped and, after a double fault by Rogers to open the next game, the Japanese player dominated from her backhand side to quickly zip to triple break point. On the first of the trio, Osaka closed out a rally with a forehand crosscourt winner to once again lead by a break.

At 5-3, Rogers again went for broke on return, firing two more winners off that shot to get to 30-30, but Osaka found an error-forcing crosscourt winner on the next point to garner set point. There, another fabulous Osaka forehand forced a wide error from Rogers, sealing the one-set lead for the fourth seed.

The forehand gave Osaka the critical service break in the second set as well, as she used that wing to force a wide error from the American and take a crucial 2-1 lead. Rogers continued to match Osaka in power for the remainder of the clash, firing outstanding forehands of her own to stay within striking distance.

However, Osaka became particularly impenetrable on serve down the stretch, making a Rogers comeback increasingly unlikely despite the American’s fine play. The 2018 titlist, in fact, dropped only a single point in her final four service games of the night, dominating the latter stages of the encounter.

At 5-4, an ace swiftly brought the two-time major champion to triple match point; she only needed one, as a Rogers forehand found the net to wrap up the battle. All told, Osaka did not face a break point in the second set, as she moved with great efficiency back into the final four in Flushing Meadows.