Paris [France], June 2 (HBTV): World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka defeated Naomi Osaka 7-5, 6-3 in a compelling fourth-round encounter at the French Open, securing her place in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.
The victory marked Sabalenka's third win over Osaka this season, further highlighting her recent dominance in the rivalry.
With the result, Sabalenka advanced to her 14th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final, extending an impressive run of consistency at the sport's biggest tournaments.
The Belarusian, the only remaining player in the draw to have previously contested a Grand Slam final, will carry a significant experience advantage into the next round. She is set to face 25th seed Diana Shnaider, who reached her maiden Grand Slam quarter-final after defeating 19th seed Madison Keys in three sets.
Osaka made a strong start to the match, winning the opening two games as Sabalenka struggled to find her rhythm. A series of unforced errors, including a double fault on break point, helped the Japanese star gain an early advantage.
However, Sabalenka responded swiftly, finding her range with a pair of forehand winners to break back and level the contest.
From that point, the top seed settled into the match, serving confidently and not facing another break point for the remainder of the encounter as she secured a composed straight-sets victory.
'I'm not really overthinking. I was able to kind of separate myself from what's going on this year at Roland Garros. I have been around. Anything can happen. That's tennis. That's sport. I'm just trying, once again, to be focused on myself and make sure that when I'm there competing, I'm bringing my best level that I have, and I'm there, I'm fighting, and I'm doing everything I can to get this trophy,' Sabalenka said.
(ANI)