Naomi Osaka of Japan reacts after winning the first set 6-3 against Shelby Rogers of the United States. (USA TODAY Sports Photo via Reuters)
NEW YORK, September 9 (Reuters): Naomi Osaka's sharp serving and superior return game helped her past American Shelby Rogers 6-3 6-4 and into the semi-finals of the U.S. Open on Tuesday as the Japanese continues her quest for a second title at Flushing Meadows.
Osaka, who was 0-3 lifetime against Rogers coming into the match, broke at love to take a 5-3 lead in the first set where Rogers hit 16 unforced errors to Osaka's five and held serve to claim the set.
The fourth seeded Osaka broke again early in the second set for a 2-1 lead and sealed the win when Rogers dumped a forehand into the net on match point for her 28th unforced error.
"Honestly, I felt like she had the upper hand because I'd never beaten her and those memories are stuck in my head," said the 22-year-old Osaka, who last faced Rogers in 2017.
"So, yeah, I consider this a little bit of revenge."
Osaka once again had tape wrapped around her left thigh but said it was just as a precaution.
Despite the loss Rogers will hold her head high after the 27-year-old saved four match points to defeat Petra Kvitova to reach her first U.S. Open quarter-final.
Brady routs Putintseva
American upstart Jennifer Brady continued her surprising surge at the U.S. Open with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva on Tuesday to reach her first Grand Slam semi-final.
The 28th-seeded Brady, who has yet to drop a set at this year's U.S. Open, used her massive forehand and impressive court coverage to deny Putintseva in her bid to become the first Kazakh woman to reach the final four of any major.
"I came out with nerves obviously ... so I just tried to treat it like all the other matches and pretend like it was a first-round match," said Brady.
"I was happy with the way I started and I think I was able to keep the momentum and build off that."
Up next for Brady is Naomi Osaka, the fourth seed.
