Naomi Osaka is preparing for a 'battle' as she gears up for a clash with Coco Gauff in the China Open last 16 on Monday, while top seed Aryna Sabalenka continues her winning streak. Osaka, who defeated 60th-ranked American Katie Volynets 6-3, 6-2, will face Gauff in a highly anticipated match between former US Open champions in Beijing.
World number two Sabalenka, meanwhile, breezed past Ashlyn Krueger 6-2, 6-2, securing her 14th consecutive victory and setting up a match against 24th-ranked Madison Keys. Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, acknowledged the athleticism of Gauff, stating, 'She's very athletic obviously. For me, my strongest traits are being aggressive and also my serve.' She added, 'So it's definitely going to be a battle -- who wants to take control of the point first? And I think it's going to be me.'
Osaka, who is now under the guidance of Patrick Mouratoglou, the renowned former coach of Serena Williams, has won four majors between 2018 and 2021, including the US Open and Australian Open, both twice. The 26-year-old Japanese player, who is also a former winner in Beijing, feels comfortable on the hard courts of the Chinese capital. Since returning to tennis in January after the birth of her daughter Shai, Osaka has struggled with consistency and is currently ranked 73rd in the world. Her best performances since becoming a parent have been two quarterfinal appearances.
Gauff, the 2023 New York champion, secured her spot in the last 16 with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Britain's Katie Boulter. The 20-year-old American, seeded fourth, has a 2-2 head-to-head record against Osaka, with their last meeting in 2022 at San Jose resulting in a 6-4, 6-4 win for Gauff.
Current US Open champion Sabalenka, who was error-prone in her opening match in Beijing against Thai qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew, was in top form from the start against Krueger. The Belarusian, who feels she is not quite playing at the peak of her career, attributes her recent success to better emotional control. 'Before it felt like if I'm not going to win this match, something bad is going to happen. I'm going to die,' she explained. 'Nowadays I'm just working hard, I'm trying to improve myself every day. Every time I'm on the court, I'm trying to give my best. If you give your best but you didn't win the match, it's okay.'
Sabalenka's hard court prowess is formidable, with 14 of her 16 titles coming on this surface, and only Iga Swiatek has won more matches on tour this season. Top-ranked Swiatek is not participating in Beijing due to 'personal matters.'
