NEW YORK — Former champions Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka will go head-to-head in a blockbuster fourth-round matchup on the US Open on Monday night time, after reserving their locations within the final 16 in contrasting kinds.
Gauff cruised previous Magdalena Frech of Poland 6-3, 6-1, whereas Osaka battled previous Australia’s Daria Kasatkina 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 to make the fourth spherical of a serious for the primary time since she gained the Australian Open in 2021.
This will probably be their sixth match in all, and first on the US Open since 2019 — their first assembly — when Osaka beat the then-15-year-old Gauff 6-3, 6-0. Gauff acquired her revenge on the Australian Open in 2020 of their subsequent match, then they traded off the subsequent two. Most not too long ago, Gauff superior in Beijing in 2024, when Osaka retired by means of damage at one set all, making the general document 3-2.
It’s a pivotal match for each gamers. For Gauff, it’s the prospect to achieve the quarters for the third time in 4 years. For Osaka, it’s a possibility to reestablish herself on the enterprise finish of a serious for the primary time since she grew to become a mom.
One half is easy: If she serves nicely, she can have an incredible likelihood to win.
Nobody has served extra double faults than her up to now three years — she is closing in on 1,000 for the reason that begin of 2023. And her serve stays a piece in progress beneath the steerage of Gavin MacMillan, the person who cured Aryna Sabalenka’s serving woes a number of years in the past.
Gauff has been reducing down on her tempo in an effort to get extra first serves in and take the stress off her second serve, which continues to be shaky at occasions. Osaka is an aggressive returner, so something brief will probably be punished, which in itself will probably be a stress. However nobody battles tougher than Gauff, and she is going to combat like her life will depend on it.
However even when she doesn’t serve nicely, Gauff has proven exceptional resilience, and as she proved on the French Open, she will even win slams when not at her finest.
Osaka has been returning even higher than Gauff up to now on this match, making 83% of balls again, on common, and successful a median of 38% when returning first serve and an enormous 73% when returning the second serve.
That spells bother for Gauff if she misses first serves too typically, as a result of Osaka will pounce on something brief. Her motion is vastly improved over current months and her confidence is up. When she is in place to crack a forehand or backhand, she’s mighty harmful, dominating the 0-4 photographs class.
When Osaka is at her finest, she excels in first-strike tennis, and if she continues to hit the ball the best way she has been, she ought to get loads of alternatives to dominate rallies in opposition to Gauff, whose counterpunching abilities will probably be examined.
Gauff on their 2019 US Open match: “I bear in mind it was a troublesome second for me as a result of it was a hyped-up match. I assume I put manner an excessive amount of stress on myself considering I possibly had an opportunity in that second to truly do one thing, which I positively did, however I believe it was simply I felt extra expectation that I ought to than possibly perception. Then once I performed her in Australia, that was extra perception than expectation. It might be a cool type of déjà vu kind of scenario, however hopefully it will likely be a distinct outcome.”
Osaka on Gauff: “Can any person come to the match and cheer for me as a result of it’s type of powerful taking part in an American right here? I type of see her as a little bit sister so it’s type of cool to be taking part in her right here once more. To be taking part in her once more after six years, I don’t know if that makes me previous, however simply to be at this level of my life and to be taking part in her once more is actually, for me, feels type of particular. I’m actually excited to play her now, as a result of I really feel wholesome, and I simply wish to see what occurs.”
Contemplating that Osaka has not reached the quarters of a Slam since 2021, it’s unusual that this match seems like a little bit of a toss-up. However she has confidence from reaching the ultimate in Canada and is starting to seem like the girl who has 4 Grand Slams to her title, whereas Gauff continues to be preventing herself as she tries to repair her service motion.
Except their final assembly, when Osaka retired injured after the second set, the participant who wins the primary set has gained in all the opposite 4 clashes, so a quick begin is crucial. Gauff can have the group on her facet however that brings its personal stress, whereas Osaka is taking part in nice tennis once more, so this threatens to be the type of match that might spark an actual rivalry for the subsequent few years.
Prediction: Three units, to Osaka.
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