Naomi Osaka advanced to her first Wimbledon quarter-final on Sunday after a straight-sets victory over top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka on Centre Court.
The Japanese 14th seed won 6-2, 7-6 (2), dominating the opening set in 32 minutes as Sabalenka struggled with unforced errors.
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In the second set, Osaka snapped Sabalenka's streak of 21 unbeaten Grand Slam tiebreaks, securing a decisive win in the tiebreak.
“I think it was a really fun match. I’m really grateful for this.
Even if I lost, I would still think it was a great match,” Osaka said after her first victory on Centre Court.
The four-time Grand Slam champion had lost three consecutive matches to Sabalenka before Sunday's win.
“I mean it’s been a long time since I’ve had so much fun on the court. To do it here, it really means a lot.
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I lost to her like three times in a row, so that really sucked. So I wanted to turn it over,” Osaka added.
Sabalenka showed visible frustration during the match, banging her racket against her head and hitting a ball out of the stadium after losing match point.
“Now I want to go and get drunk and forget about tennis,” Sabalenka said at her press conference.
The defeat of the world number one follows the early exits of defending champion Iga Swiatek and second seed Elena Rybakina, leaving the tournament without its top three seeds.
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Osaka will face Czech 10th seed Karolina Muchova in the quarter-finals.
