Osaka defeats Kasatkina to make Wimbledon round 16 | Tennis news

The four-time grand slam winner continues to impress at SW19, losing just four games to Daria ⁠Kasatkina in the third round.

Naomi Osaka continued to make a statement at ⁠Wimbledon as she combined her charm on the court with a burst of confidence to oust unlikely Australian Daria ⁠Kasatkina 6-1 6-3 on Friday and reach the last 16 for the first time.

Osaka, widely regarded as one of tennis’s most athletic figures, has attracted a lot of attention for her eye-catching outfits in the first week, but the four-time Japanese Grand Slam champion is letting her do the talking.

After shedding another variation of her “Kill Bill” kimono walk-on ensemble – this time a dress with flowers – the 14th seed mixed power and precision to see Kasatkina and continue her run at the All England Club.

The 28-year-old fired a backhand winner to break Kasatkina in the second game and backed it up with a deep forehand to break two points as she cruised to the first set on a sunny Court ⁠One.

Osaka, who reached her last grass-court final in Bad Homburg before retiring, showed she can be a force in the second week of Wimbledon as she fought back from an early break point in the second set to take two match points.

She finished second in form to set up what promises to be a thrilling clash with former world number one Aryna Sabalenka or former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko for a place in the quarterfinals.