THE US Open Round of 16 saw some huge matchups on Day 7 of competition, with seven of the eight competitors seeded and a couple of upsets seeing three players reach their maiden US Open quarter finals berth.

Naomi Osaka has continued her great recent form to wade past a fighting Anett Kontaveit for her first US Open quarter final since 2018 – the year she won the title. Osaka was clinical as ever in the shortest match of the day, winning 6-3 6-4 in 72 minutes.  

Composed under pressure in a much better run than her battle with Kontaveit just a week ago at the Western and Southern Open, Osaka suggested that her change in attitude toward games is allowing her a bit more freedom on court, able to play her best.

“I thought it was pretty good,” Osaka said post-match. “If I’m reflecting on attitude, I’m pretty sure it was up there with my top matches of this short year. “I just told myself that she’s a great player who’s supposed to hold her serve, so just to keep pushing.”

Osaka next takes on unseeded Shelby Rogers, who continued her fine form with a win over sixth seed Petra Kvitova in a huge final set that could have gone either way, eventually running out 7-6 3-6 7-6 victor. Reaching her first US Open quarter finals berth, Rogers took advantage of every opportunity sent her way, with an uncharacteristic double-fault from Kvitova granting Rogers a look in after holding three match points.

“I knew I could always do it,” Rogers said post-match. “It was a matter of head down, working hard to get back to that point (a grand slam quarter final). Being here, I want to push past it, really see what I’m made of.

“The tiebreaker, the whole match actually, was a little bit of a roller coaster for both of us,” Rogers said. “The first set, you know, a tiebreak. [Kvitova] upped her level a little bit in the second there. I was up a break in the third, she breaks back. She’s just hitting missiles. She served unbelievable.

“To get that double-fault there in the [third-set] breaker, a little luck was on my side today I think.”

Joining Rogers in the quarter finals is compatriot and 28th seed Jennifer Brady, who defeated former world number one Angelique Kerber in straight sets (6-1 6-4) to reach her first major tournament quarter finals. It was her first match against Kerber and it went exactly to plan, with the 25-year-old brimming with confidence after collecting her maiden WTA Tour title at Lexington in August.

She will take on Yulia Putintseva in the quarter finals, who took down eighth seed Petra Martic in a huge 6-3 2-6 6-4 upset. The 23rd seed is the first Kazakh player to ever make the US Open quarter finals, making this victory even sweeter after a battle which would have seen both players head into their maiden quarter final at Flushing Meadows.