A RELATIVELY predictable day of quarter finals action took place on Day 9 of the 2020 US Open, seeing Naomi Osaka and Jennifer Brady both head through to the semi finals in straight sets. While this is Brady’s first time making semi finals at a grand slam in her career, Osaka has been here once before and will push to go all the way to the final once more.

In the first match of the day, Brady defeated fellow top 30 seed Yulia Putintseva 6-3 6-2. With a similar ranking to Kazakh, Putintseva, Brady exploited her service games to win point off 58 per cent of her first serve and a huge 72 per cent off her second serve, collecting six aces and zero double faults on her way. While Brady did rack up a whopping 15 more unforced errors than Putintseva, she hit 22 winners to Putintseva’s seven.

“I know what I’m doing out there. “I believe in myself, my game, that I’m good enough to win matches and to be at this level and to be where I am today,” Brady said post-match.

While Putintseva broke back a 2-0 start in the second set to draw even, Brady was clinical and efficient as she won the next four games to take out victory. 

“I have been winning points when I’m playing aggressive tennis but not overplaying,” Brady said. “So, you know, I was kind of, ‘Okay if I just continue that and take it one point at a time, I can at least, you know, put myself in a position to serve for the set if I just continue to just, you know, play my game.’ And then I was able to do that.”

This win continues Brady’s impressive form as of late, with her serve and forehand proving crucial as she races through the US Open draw, yet to drop a set. But she will come up against a similarly in-form Osaka in the semi-final, with the Japanese talent standing tall and – against the odds despite her ranking given her opposition Shelby Rogers had gotten the chocolates in all three prior matches – coming away with the 6-3 6-4 victory against the American. 

In a closer battle than the first of the day – although still a comprehensive victory – Osaka held off a fighting Rogers in the second set to win through to her second US Open semi in 79 minutes, with her cleanliness and efficiency paying off. With just eight unforced errors and an 83 per cent win rate off her first serve, Osaka tallied seven aces and won off 47 per cent of her return games. 

While both Osaka and Brady are in excellent form at the moment and have played just twice before, splitting for a win apiece, it is hard to look past Osaka’s ability to win efficiently and win games by forcing errors from her opposition. While Brady’s ability to win despite tallying the unforced errors is commendable, she will have a real challenge when she takes on the world number nine.