Rybakina overpowers Osaka to reach U.S. Open quarterfinals

Elena Rybakina outclassed former U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka on Monday to reach the quarter-finals.

Elena Rybakina outclassed former U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka 6-1 6-4 on Monday to reach the quarterfinals, while China’s Zheng Qinwen ​mounted another extraordinary fightback to upset six-time major winner Iga Swiatek.

Two-time major winner ‌Rybakina will face Olympic champion Zheng in the quarterfinals and is now one win away from becoming world No. 1 for the first time.

The Japanese 13th-seed Osaka struggled to cope with the Kazakh’s power, hampered ​by an Achilles tendon injury that had flared up in the previous round.

Zheng has ​become Flushing Meadows’ most entertaining escape artist this year, coming back from ⁠a 0-5 deficit in the deciding set against third-round foe Madison Keys.

She let the first five ​games slip through her fingers in 20 minutes against the 2022 champion Swiatek before digging in, ​and she collapsed to the court with her face in her hands after sealing the win on the fourth match point.