Aryna Sabalenka defeated Naomi Osaka in a high-quality contest to reach the Roland Garros quarter-finals with a 7-5 6-3 victory.
The world number one was outstanding as she downed fellow Grand Slam champion Osaka with a flawless display.
Osaka achieved her best ever result at Roland Garros but was unable to stop Sabalenka who was ruthless throughout the contest.
Next up for Sabalenka will be 25th seed Diana Shnaider.
It was a nervy start from both players as there were some tight points on either side of the net with uncharacteristic errors.
The clear tactic from Sabalenka’s point of view was to bring Osaka into the net and the tactic was implemented with mixed results to start with but was more successful as the set went on.
However, Sabalenka’s return was erratic at the start and her serve was edgy as Osaka broke for a 2-0 lead thanks to a double fault from the world number one.
There was an immediate response from Sabalenka as Osaka’s baseline shots did no long-lasting damage on the top seed’s overall game.
As the set wore on, Osaka elevated her level of shot-making while making really effective decisions.
However, Sabalenka was ruthless on serve and the drop-shot was starting to effect the rest of Osaka’s game.
There was a seed of doubt planted in Osaka’s game and the first serve percentage was starting to decrease.
This allowed Sabalenka to dictate play on the forehand and the top seed earned her reward for being persistent as she broke for a 6-5 lead in the opening set.
A hold to love nailed a big blow in Osaka’s hopes of winning this match as Sabalenka took a big-hitting first set in 47 minutes.
The defence was working overtime for Osaka and that needed to change if she wanted any chance of turning this match around.
At the start of the second set that was certainly the case as her shot after the serve put Sabalenka under a lot of pressure.
An aggressive start from Osaka only elevated Sabalenka’s level as she continued with her gameplan and continued to get the mixture between power and finesse correct.
There was some bite to Osaka’s play as she really went for her shots and got some rewards, holding for a 3-2 lead before pressurizing the Sabalenka serve.
Some crucial errors on return meant Osaka was being over-aggressive and Sabalenka just about held in the sixth game.
That would be crucial as Sabalenka produced some ridiculous returning in the following game and a ridiculous volley saw the top seed break comfortably for a 4-3 lead.
The quality in drop-shots was outstanding from Sabalenka and the top seed continued to implement the tactic with incredible success.
It was an incredible match and incredible performance from Sabalenka who once again showed her quality with another break of serve to seal her place in the quarter-finals.
After the match Sabalenka praised Osaka’s level as it was a high-quality battle on Court Philippe-Chatrier, “She is such a great player and always a tough battle against her. Super-aggressive tennis,” Sabalenka was quoted by the BBC Sport website as saying in her on-court interview.
“Not the best service game I have played in my life, but in this tournament, for sure. I felt like I am getting better with every match I am playing. Super pleased overall with the performance today.
“I am mostly happy with the way I served, and that I was able to put that pressure back on her. Happy with the win, it was a very tough one. Wow – it is amazing to play in the night session in front of you all. My first one and I really want to keep going. Thank you for bringing such an amazing atmosphere. You guys make this place special.
A high-quality performance from Osaka who achieved the best Roland Garros result of her career but in the end it wasn’t enough to overcome the world number one.
Next up for Sabalenka will be 25th seed Diana Shnaider who overcame Madison Keys earlier on in the day.
