Naomi Osaka secured her place in the third round of the US Open with a gritty three-set victory over 23rd seed Elise Mertens. The 28-year-old Japanese star, a two-time Flushing Meadows champion, wore a distinctive grey checked blazer-hoodie and wide-leg pants as she battled to a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 win on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Osaka dominated the opening set, surging to a 4-1 lead by clinching three consecutive games. Although Mertens responded by leveling the match and forcing a deciding set, Osaka recovered from a medical timeout to clinch the tiebreaker. She will next face either second seed Elena Rybakina or Yuliia Starodubtseva.
“Honestly, I can’t believe I won this match,” Osaka said. “There was a certain point where I put my heart on the court and kept trying in every point… I’m shocked I won.” The player also apologized to young fans after throwing her racket during a moment of frustration.
In a separate thriller on Arthur Ashe Stadium, American Iva Jovic defeated fellow rising star Alex Eala of the Philippines in a three-hour marathon. The 18-year-old Jovic, who is close friends with Eala, won 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 to reach the fourth round.
The victory extends Jovic’s head-to-head record against Eala to 3-0 across three different surfaces. “That felt like a marathon. I felt like I lost my sanity five times over to win that match,” Jovic said. “But it’s really worth it for this feeling.” Jovic will now face Coco Gauff, who advanced earlier by defeating Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.
Three hours? That Jovic-Eala match sounded exhausting just reading about it. Hope they’re both okay for their next rounds.
I’m surprised Osaka called herself shocked. She’s won here before. Didn’t she need more confidence in those tight moments?
Jovic beating Eala after such a long match is wild. Friendship doesn’t matter on the court, but it must be tough.
Osaka’s comeback was insane! That medical timeout moment had me holding my breath. So glad she pushed through.