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SPORTS Thursday 29 augusT 2024
U.S. Open: Naomi Osaka gets her first top-10 win in more than four

years by defeating Ostapenko

By HOWARD FENDRICH mental health breaks and
AP Tennis Writer time away to have a baby.
NEW YORK (AP) — A year “This time now forces me to
ago, still on maternity leave look in the mirror and say,
and still unsure when she ‘Hey, you’ve done really
would play elite tennis well here. There’s no rea-
again, Naomi Osaka visited son why you can’t do well
the U.S. Open to appear again.’”
with Michael Phelps for a How’s this for doing well?
discussion about mental Osaka did not make a sin-
health. While at the site, gle unforced error in the
she sat in the stands to first set and finished with
watch one of Coco Gauff’s only five, 16 fewer than Os-
matches. tapenko. “I do remember
Osaka also already was thinking, ‘I need to win this
thinking about being back match so I can wear my
on a court at Flushing other color.’ That was very
Meadows, so much so that important to me,” said Osa-
she was pondering what ka, who is ranked 88th and
she might want to wear to received a wild-card invita-
compete. And there she tion from the U.S. Tennis As-
was Tuesday at Louis Arm- sociation. “I guess you’ll see
strong Stadium, overpow- my other color next time.”
ering No. 10 seed Jelena Naomi Osaka, of Japan, reacts after defeating Jelena Ostapenko, of Latvia, during the first round Next time will be Thursday
Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2 while of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in New York. Associated Press against 2023 French Open
decked out, from her visor runner-up Karolina Mucho-
to her dress to the bows on on my outfit today, I was, Did that well enough Tues- va five years ago. Another va, a 6-3, 7-5 winner against
her back and attached to like, ‘Ah, I hope this isn’t too day to register her first vic- such contest came Tues- Katie Volynets of the U.S.
her shoes, in lime green the much,’” Osaka said with tory against a top-10 op- day night, when 2020 Aus- Other women moving into
color of this “ Brat “ sum- a smile. “Because I had ponent in more than four tralian Open champion the second round included
mer, as it happens (IYKYK) the tutu, and then I had years. Osaka claimed titles Sofia Kenin beat 2021 U.S. No. 1 Iga Swiatek, who got

and playing very much like the bow jacket and it was in New York in 2018 and Open winner Emma Radu- past Kamilla Rakhimova
a two-time champion at green. I feel like everyone 2020, along with a pair of canu 6-1, 3-6, 6-4. 6-4, 7-6 (6) by taking the last
the place and a former No. was staring at me.” trophies at the Australian “Having two wins here five points after needing to
1-ranked star. Another player asked for Open in 2019 and 2021, means a lot, and I think for erase a trio of set points be-
“I feel like being able to a photo, Osaka said, add- and her matchup against me, I’ve been struggling cause she trailed 6-3 in the
be a part of (designing) ing: “I hope it was a positive 2017 French Open cham- with confidence through- tiebreaker, and past major
my tennis outfits gives me, picture (and) it wasn’t, like, pion Ostapenko marked out the year,” said Osaka, champions Elena Rybakina
I would say, a different ‘Oh, my God, look at her.’ the first time two past ma- who returned to action and Caroline Wozniacki.
strength, especially the U.S. For me, when I put on the jor champs faced off in the at the Australian Open in No. 5 Jasmine Paolini, a fi-
Open outfits. I feel like they outfit, it’s almost like a su- opening round at the U.S. January, her first Grand nalist at the French Open
are a little bit more flam- per suit, so I try to channel Open since Serena Williams Slam appearance in near- and Wimbledon this year,
boyant. When I was putting that.” defeated Maria Sharapo- ly 1 1/2 years because of beat 2019 U.S. q

Guardians rally for 7-5 victory over Royals, reclaim sole possession

of first place in AL Central

By BRIAN DULIK (2-4). earned his AL-best 39th
Associated Press Erceg was charged with save with his career-high
CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie one run allowed, his first in 26th straight conversion
Jhonkensy Noel singled 12 appearances and 13 and matched Cody Allen’s
home Josh Naylor with the 1/3 innings since joining the franchise record with 149.
go-ahead run in the sev- Royals in a July 30 trade Kansas City had its seven-
enth inning and the Cleve- with Oakland. game road winning streak
land Guardians rallied for a Andrés Giménez tacked on snapped and is 23-14 since
7-5 win over the Kansas City a sacrifice fly in the eighth the All-Star break. The Roy-
Royals, reclaiming sole pos- as Cleveland avoided a als have clinched the sea-
session of first place in the four-game sweep in the se- son tiebreaker over the
AL Central on Wednesday. ries. Guardians.
The Guardians trailed 5-2 The Guardians and rookie Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie
entering the seventh, but manager Stephen Vogt Pasquantino and Michael
scored four times to take had been alone atop the Massey hit solo homers off
their first lead of the after- Central for 154 days until Guardians ace Tanner Bib-
noon. Bo Naylor homered Kansas City pulled into a tie ee, who gave up five runs Cleveland Guardians’ Josh Naylor (22) hits a fielder’s choice,
off starter Michael Wacha, Tuesday. in five innings. scoring Andres Gimenez, in the first inning of a baseball game
while Josh Naylor, Will Bren- Eli Morgan (2-0) pitched 1 Pasquantino had a career- against the Kansas City Royals Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024, in
Cleveland.
nan and Noel had RBI sin- 1/3 scoreless innings for the high four hits and is fourth in Associated Press
gles against Lucas Erceg victory. Emmanuel Clase the majors with 97 RBIs.q