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LONDON – Naomi Osaka handed Aryna Sabalenka her earliest Grand Slam defeat in four years to firmly establish herself as a Wimbledon title contender.
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In the biggest match of the women’s tournament so far, Osaka outplayed Sabalenka in a 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) victory to send the world No. 1 tumbling out of a major tournament before the quarterfinals for the first time since the French Open in 2022.
Sabalenka has not been at her best since winning the Sunshine Double of Indian Wells and Miami in the spring.
The 28-year-old beamed after clinching one of her best wins since her last Slam title in 2021, and she said: “I think it was a really fun match, I’m really grateful.
“For me this court is so special, this is the first match I’ve won on this court. It means a lot. My mum’s over there and I feel like her cooking is powering me.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had so much fun on the court. Going into the match I’d lost to here three times in a row so that really sucked.”
Osaka said ahead of the contest that she finds Centre Court the scariest of all the Grand Slam main stages but it did not appear that way as she set about demolishing the top seed.
Osaka kept the same look she had modeled for her third-round match, walking out in a floor-length robe with draped sleeves and earning a warm reception.
The two players first did battle eight years ago in the US Open, when Osaka’s victory set her on course for the first of four major titles.
All came on hard courts, and she has previously struggled on clay and grass, but this season has been different.
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A first trip to the fourth round of the French Open ended with defeat by Sabalenka – one of three losses to the world No. 1 in their first meetings since 2018 – but she has looked comfortable for the first time.
Neither had lost a set here going into the match but Osaka had certainly been the more impressive and a backhand winner drilled down the line gave her the opening break in the third game.
While Osaka looked calm and composed, the tension was oozing out of Sabalenka, who let out a huge yell after netting a forehand to open the fifth game.
The Belarusian was over-hitting and a forehand drilled beyond the baseline with the court gaping and gave Osaka a 4-1 lead.
Sabalenka could only stare in open-mouthed disbelief when an Osaka forehand in the next game was shown to have landed on the line, and she hurriedly left the court for a bathroom break at the end of the set.
Sabalenka fought doggedly to stay on level terms at the start of the second set, fighting back from 0-30 in the third game and saving two break points at 2-2, but Osaka was serene.
Her serve, in particular, was a fearsome weapon that Sabalenka could not get anywhere near, and Osaka dominated the tie-break, with the top seed earning boos from the crowd for whacking a ball on to the roof in annoyance after netting a final backhand.
Sabalenka will remain on top of the rankings after the tournament but it has been an unsettling period for her, having fallen apart against Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals in Paris and has now seen another opportunity to win a first Wimbledon title slip through her fingers.
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