Rogers Cup: Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka in quarters to set up US Open final rematch

Naomi Osaka gained her first career Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows after defeating Serena Williams in the ultimate however the title fit will be remembered for Williams’ feud with Carlos Ramos.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka advanced to the Rogers Cup quarter-finals
The quarter-final match between the two tennis stars would be a rematch of the US Open final
Osaka received her first Grand Slam after defeating Serena in US Open final
Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka advanced to the Rogers Cup quarter-finals on Thursday to set up their first assembly when you consider that the American’s infamous row with an umpire overshadowed ultimate year’s U.S. Open final.
Osaka gained her first career Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows but the title fit will be remembered for Williams’ feud with Carlos Ramos, who warned her for a coaching violation before deducting a point and then a sport for her behaviour.
Williams, a three-times Rogers Cup champion, overcame a slow start on Thursday to earn a 7-5 6-4 win over Russian qualifier Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Japanese 2nd seed Osaka then closed out the day’s action with a 7-6(4) 6-4 win over Polish qualifier Iga Swiatek.
“I’ve been really looking ahead to taking part in her for a while,” Williams stated of the Osaka matchup.
Williams, who is keen to get more hard-court matches below her belt before looking for a record-tying twenty fourth career Grand Slam at the U.S. Open, came again from an early double-break down, helped in section through eight double-faults by way of Alexandrova in the first set.
The American eighth seed, in her first career assembly with Alexandrova, went down a smash again and trailed 3-1 in the 2nd however her serve suddenly started to click on as she stormed lower back to 3-3 and from there raced home.
“She played honestly well. She did not clearly give me any rhythm,” Williams said. “I wasn’t positive what would come, if it was once going to be challenging or soft or a winner or what so it used to be sincerely a undertaking for me.”
Osaka additionally had her fingers full and needed to keep a pair of set points before grabbing the opener in opposition to Swiatek.
The Japanese made a quick start to the second set and seemed in control till Swiatek made a comeback, the 18-year-old prevailing over the crowd with her versatile play as the fit wore on.
Osaka, 21, said she was once excited about the chance to play Williams, any individual she grew up gazing and has overwhelmed in their two preceding meetings.
“Whenever I get the chance to play her it’s something that I experience is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” said Osaka.
“It feels more like I am showcasing my abilities to her like ‘look what I can do.’ So I will go into the match with that mentality.”
Defending champion Simona Halep, in her first match considering prevailing remaining month’s Wimbledon, wished 67 minutes to invulnerable a 6-2 6-1 win over Russian wildcard Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Halep took a medical timeout in her preceding in shape to have her left Achilles tended to and she said she nevertheless felt pain in the location towards Kuznetsova but that it was feeling tons better.
“The fact that I’m lower back in the quarter-finals here means a lot to me,” stated Halep. “It feels like I’m getting back the rhythm which I had in Wimbledon.”
Up next for Halep will be in-form Czech qualifier Marie Bouzkova, who breezed by using former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-2 6-2 and has yet to drop a set.
Earlier on Thursday, Czech third seed Karolina Pliskova beat Estonian Anett Kontaveit 6-3 7-5 to set up a last eight assembly with Canadian Bianca Andreescu, who upset Dutch fifth seed Kiki Bertens 6-1 6-7(7) 6-4.
Also securing passage to the ultimate eight had been American Sofia Kenin and 2017 champion Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.