Page 19 - AT

A19
SPORTS Tuesday 3 sepTember 2019
‘18 champ Osaka loses to Bencic at U.S. Open

By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Naomi
Osaka’s achy left knee
didn’t let her serve without
pain, so she didn’t practice
that key part of her game
leading into the U.S. Open.
The knee also prevented
her from covering the court
and preparing for shots the
way she’d like.
Those weren’t the only rea-
sons that the No. 1-seeded
Osaka’s 10-match winning
streak at the U.S. Open and
title defense ended Mon-
day in the fourth round. Be-
linda Bencic’s clean, crisp
strokes, struck with the ball
still on the rise, contributed
plenty to the outcome, too.
Osaka joined 2018 men’s
champion Novak Djokovic
on the sideline before the
quarterfinals, exiting with
a 7-5, 6-4 loss to the 13th-
seeded Bencic under a
closed roof at Arthur Ashe
Stadium on a rainy after-
noon.
Djokovic stopped playing Naomi Osaka, of Japan, waves to the crowd after a 7-5, 6-4 loss to Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, during the fourth round of the US
Open tennis championships Monday, Sept. 2, 2019, in New York.
in his fourth-rounder Sun- Associated Press
day night because of a
problematic left shoulder. the opponent’s game ahead. himself for the first time at this tournament.”
“I honestly didn’t move well,” said Bencic, who will “With Melanie, we didn’t any major with a 6-1, 6-4, Another women’s quar-
well today. You know what face No. 23 Donna Vekic of try to copy Martina’s 7-6 (6) victory over Andrey terfinal will pit No. 25 Elise
I mean? I felt like I was al- Croatia in the quarterfinals. game. We tried to make Rublev. Berrettini now plays Mertens of Belgium against
ways flat-footed. ... The “I definitely try to do that my own game. And obvi- No. 13 Gael Monfils, who No. 15 Bianca Andreescu
knee was a little bit an- against anyone, not only ously, I know there are simi- overwhelmed Pablo Andu- of Canada or qualifier Tay-
noying in the movement against her.” larities, because that’s the jar 6-1, 6-1, 6-2. lor Townsend of the U.S.
aspect,” Osaka said. “But I Bencic finished with far way Melanie teaches, but Osaka made her break- Mertens advanced by
think that that’s something I more winners, 29, than it was about making my through at Flushing Mead- beating wild-card entry
should have overcome.” unforced errors, 12, and own strengths and my own ows a year ago, winning Kristie Ahn of the U.S. 6-1,
As for her powerful serve, showed once again that game style,” Bencic said. her first major champion- 6-1. Ahn carried heavy
Osaka called it “inconsis- she is a big-match player. “I play, of course, a little ship by beating Serena Wil- tape jobs on her right arm
tent,” saying she hadn’t She owns a tour-leading bit different than Martina. liams in a chaotic final that and left leg.
been working on it coming nine victories over top-10 I think she was even more devolved after Williams got Vekic, a 23-year-old from
into the year’s last Grand opponents in 2019 and is skilled and smarter on the into an extended argu- Croatia, reached her first
Slam tournament “be- 4-1 for her career against court and playing more ment with the chair umpire. Grand Slam quarterfinal by
cause I can’t really land on top-ranked players. chess. I think I have a little Osaka followed that up saving a match point and
my leg that great.” Bencic is 22, just a year bit less maybe talent and with a second consecutive edging No. 26 Julia Goerg-
Osaka has been wearing a older than Osaka, but her touch than her, but maybe Grand Slam trophy at the es of Germany 6-7 (5), 7-5,
black sleeve on the knee progress was slowed in re- a little bit more power.” Australian Open in Janu- 6-3.
and was given a pain-kill- cent years by injuries, in- In men’s action, No. 6 Alex- ary. That allowed her to be- “I don’t even know how
ing pill by a trainer midway cluding wrist surgery. ander Zverev was undone come the first tennis player I won this match,” Vekic
through the second set Back in 2014, when she by 17 double-faults and representing Japan to said.
Monday. was 17, Bencic became bowed out to No. 20 Diego reach No. 1 in the rankings. Well, here’s how: Goerges
By then, Bencic was up a the youngest woman into Schwartzman 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, This loss means that Osaka served for the victory at 5-4
set and a break, employing the U.S. Open quarterfinals 6-3. will cede that top spot to in the second set, coming
a quick-strike style of taking since 1997, when another “My first serve is still fine. My No. 2 Ash Barty, who lost within one point of ending
balls early and snapping Swiss woman, Martina Hin- second serve needs to be her fourth-round match things right there. Not only
them back, rushing Osaka gis, took the title. worked on,” Zverev said. Sunday. couldn’t Goerges convert
and not leaving her not Hingis’ mother, Melanie “But I’ll deal with it.” “Right now, I have this feel- that match point, but she
enough time to respond. Molitor, used to coach Schwartzman’s quarterfi- ing of sadness,” said Osaka, also double-faulted three
It worked before: Bencic is Bencic, and five-time ma- nal foe will be No. 2 Rafael who lost in the third round times in the game and un-
now 3-0 against Osaka in jor champion Hingis herself Nadal or No. 22 Marin Cilic, at the French Open and raveled from there, wasting
2019. has served as a mentor. who played Monday night. first round at Wimbledon, a 21-ace effort.
“I don’t have the biggest Bencic said she likes to em- No. 24 Matteo Berrettini “but I also feel like I have “It’s not about that service
power. Don’t have the ulate the way Hingis used gave Italy its first U.S. Open learned so much during this game,” Goerges said, per-
most winners or most aces. to play, always thinking a men’s quarterfinalist since tournament. Honestly, of haps trying to persuade
But I think I can really read move or two — or more — 1977 and made it this far course, I wanted to defend herself.q