Montreal – Saba:
Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka (Japan) secured her spot in the Round of 16 at the WTA 1000 Montreal Open with a decisive 6-2, 6-4 victory over Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko on Friday.
- First Set (6-2): Osaka dominated in just 30 minutes, capitalizing on Ostapenko’s double faults.
- Second Set (6-4): Despite Ostapenko’s brief comeback (breaking Osaka’s serve at 3-1), Osaka regained control with aggressive returns to close the match in 72 minutes.
- Head-to-Head: Osaka now leads 3-0 against Ostapenko, having never dropped a set (previous wins: 2016 French Open, 2023 US Open).
Osaka (27), a 4-time Grand Slam champion, will face either:
- Jessica Pegula (USA, No. 3 seed & defending champion)
- Anastasija Sevastova (Latvia)
This marks Osaka’s first deep run in a Grand Slam or WTA 1000 event since returning from maternity leave in early 2024.
- Clara Tauson (Denmark, 16) crushed Ukraine’s Yulia Starodubtseva (6-3, 6-0), setting up a clash with the winner of Iga Świątek (Poland, No. 2) vs. Eva Lys (Germany).
Osaka’s resurgence continues as she eyes her first title since 2021.