Naomi Osaka is finding her rhythm on grass ahead of the WTA's summer majors.
The four-time Grand Slam champion and No. 6 seed ousted world No. 26 Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-3 at the Bad Homburg Open on Tuesday, advancing to her first quarterfinal of the season.
Naomi Osaka Dominates Elise Mertens at WTA Grass Event
Osaka took control early in the match, racing to a 5-0 lead in the first set before Mertens clawed back over three straight games. But the former WTA No. 1 steadied herself to close things out, breaking Mertens in the second set to seal the win in just over an hour.
Osaka's strong service game carried her to the finish line against the Belgian tennis star. She hit seven aces and won 86% of her first-serve points, pushing her career head-to-head advantage over Mertens to 5-3.
That efficiency followed a 6-4, 6-1 opening-round win over Magdalena Frech, suggesting her baseline game is translating well to the WTA grass season.
Now, Osaka awaits the winner of tomorrow's Round of 16 clash between Ekaterina Alexandrova and reigning French Open champion Mirra Andreeva. If 19-year-old Andreeva advances, it would mark the first meeting between the two — and a revealing preview of what might be in store at Wimbledon next week.
