Four-time major champion Naomi Osaka powered into the U.S. Open fourth round on Saturday with a 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 win over 15th seed Daria Kasatkina to continue her best Grand Slam run since 2021.
Osaka lit up Louis Armstrong Stadium in broad daylight, turning her third-round clash into a showcase of power and composure.
The Japanese star dominated early, absorbed a brief second-set wobble, and closed out the win to set up a fourth-round showdown with American third seed Coco Gauff.
"Honestly, I was trying to tell myself to stay calm. I was so shaky today but I'm glad that it was an entertaining match," Osaka said.
"Whenever I come here it feels like home and you guys are very involved and I feel grateful, thank you."
Osaka looked sharp from the start, putting pressure on Kasatkina with an early break gifted to her by a double fault before racing into a 3-0 lead.
Kasatkina's delivery deserted her in the first set with eight double faults and only 25% of first serves landing as Osaka coolly dished out a bagel in 22 minutes.
Kasatkina, however, forced a decider after a scrappy second set riddled with breaks. Errors crept in on both sides and Kasatkina steadied herself enough to level the match.
Osaka, however, regained her composure in the third set.
She saved a break point with two blistering winners and surged into a 3-1 lead before closing out the match to stay on course for a third U.S. Open title.
The 23rd seed admitted the win had felt more like a battle than a display of perfect tennis.
"I don't think I played that well, but I think mentally I was just trying to fight for everything," she told reporters. "I know that it was a little bit of an emotional roller coaster."
In reaching the fourth round of a major for the first time since her 2021 Australian Open title, Osaka reflected on the patience it has taken to rebuild.
"After Wimbledon I just tried not to think about results anymore and focus on each match," she said.
"I'm pleased. It's not a journey I pictured, but I'm glad to be living it."
Looking ahead to a her clash with 2023 champion Gauff, Osaka could not help but remember their first meeting at Flushing Meadows six years ago.
"I knew she was going to be a great player, which I was right," she said. "She was 15 at the time and handled herself so well. To be playing her again now feels really special."
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