Rybakina completes Grand Slam QF set with Osaka rout at US Open

Elena Rybakina might be closing in on the World No. 1 ranking at the US Open. But with an easy win against Naomi Osaka in the Round of 16, she achieved another milestone first. The No. 2 seed eased to a 6-1, 6-4 triumph over the two-time former champion inside Louis Armstrong Stadium on Monday to reach the quarterfinals in New York for the first time.

The two-time Grand Slam champion, who will supplant Aryna Sabalenka at the top of the PIF WTA Rankings after the US Open with a win against Zheng Qinwen in the quarterfinals, continued the dominant run of form she showed in the first three rounds against Osaka. Through her first four rounds, she has only dropped 25 games -- the second fewest of the players through to the quarterfinals after Sabalenka.

But after toughing out a three-set win against Osaka less than a month ago in Toronto, Rybakina's level -- which manifested in 29 winners, seven aces, and just 17 unforced errors -- surprised even herself.

“I honestly didn’t expect it," she confessed in her on-court interview.

"I played really well today," she continued. "[I was] feeling the ball was really good from my side. A bit lucky in some moments. I caught some lines. ... Naomi is a tough opponent. I knew no matter the score I needed to focus on each ball. She’s also an aggressive player. I’m very glad with the way I played today."

More to come...