Japan’s Naomi Osaka raced into the semifinals of the US Open with a flawless 6-3 6-4 victory over Shelby Rogers, having entered the match with a 0-3 head-to-head record against the American.
The 2018 champion Osaka fired 24 winners, including seven aces, and committed only eight unforced errors, as opposed to Rogers’ 23 winners outweighed by 28 unforced errors. Moreover, Osaka’s winning percentage on first serve was 83, and 70 on second serve.
After the quarterfinal victory, Osaka commented on her next opponent, American Jennifer Brady, who beat Yulia Putintseva earlier on Tuesday:
She has the variety that I wish I had, so I’m a bit jealous.
Tuesday’s quarterfinal was exceptionally emotional for Osaka, as she received heartfelt video messages from Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin, and Marcus Arbery Sr., the father of Ahmaud Arbery — two of the names she has featured on her face masks this fortnight to highlight racial injustice. Osaka brought seven different masks to New York, emblazoned with names of Black American victims of police brutality, and it seems clear that she is determined to reach the final and wear each one.
