World number one Aryna Sabalenka praised the support of the crowd – and even moonwalked on court – after beating Naomi Osaka in straight sets to advance to her fourth consecutive French Open quarter-final.
The 28-year-old was playing in the first women’s singles match to be held in the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier since 2023 – and only the fifth since one-match night sessions were introduced in 2021 – and was jokingly disappointed to see off the 16th seed in an hour and 26 minutes, telling the crowd she wanted to “keep going”.
However, in a meeting between two of the heaviest baseline hitters in the women’s game, Sabalenka’s accuracy on serve and delicate drop shots proved the difference as she came through 7-5 6-3 to beat Osaka for the third time in the past three months.
Four-time Grand Slam singles champion Sabalenka, the only player with experience of playing in a major final left in the women’s draw, will face 25th seed Diana Shnaider in the last eight as she continues her bid for a maiden French Open title.
“It is amazing to play in the night session. I really want to keep going. Thank you for bringing such an amazing atmosphere. You guys make this place special,” Sabalenka told the crowd.
“I’m happy with the win, it was a very tough one. She [Osaka] is such a great player – always a tough battle against her. I am mostly happy with the way I served and that I was able to put pressure back on her.”
When the two players met in Madrid in April, it was Osaka who won the opening set, and she started quickly once again, breaking Sabalenka in her opening service game.
However, it proved to be the only moment of uncertainty on serve for the top seed, who only conceded four points on her own delivery across the remainder of the first set and finished the match with 12 aces to Osaka’s two – and an 83% win rate behind her first serve.
Osaka, by contrast, invited pressure on herself, being taken to deuce after leading 40-15 in three first-set service games and landing just 53% of her first serves. Sabalenka routinely stepped inside the baseline to receive second serves and won 21 points from a possible 35.
Sabelenka’s canny shot selection also proved effective, winning 10 of her 11 points at the net and hitting five drop shots among her 39 winners as she avoided being drawn into endless baseline slog-fests.
She made the decisive break in the 11th game of the opening set before closing it out with a hold to love, and her relentless pressure told again in the second.
Osaka saved a break point in the fifth game but was broken to 15 in her next two service games, with Sabalenka converting match point with a trademark booming forehand.
Tomi Howe
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