WHAT HAPPENED: No. 4 Naomi Osaka was cruising along, not playing great but winning her third-round match handily. Until midway in the second set, she had yet to face a break point in the match or even go to deuce on her serve.
Osaka was playing a Ukrainian teen ranked No. 137 in the world, Marta Kostyuk, who was playing in her US Open debut. Though Osaka failed to capitalize on six break-point opportunities to go up 3-1 in the second set, the encounter still looked like it would be a workmanlike performance and a somewhat perfunctory win for Osaka, the 2018 US Open champion.
The teen, as they often do, had other ideas.
Suddenly at 3-3, Kostyuk secured her first break point and snatched a service break and advantage for the first time in the match.
Osaka’s level dipped, and the Ukranian—a vocal, even volatile 18-year-old—rode a burst of newfound confidence. Kostyuk drew even in the match, outlasting Osaka in the toe-to-toe tiebreak.
The third set saw another dramatic momentum shift. Kostyuk had multiple break points to go up 3-1 herself, but like Osaka in the second, she failed to capitalize. Given new life, Osaka immediately broke serve to take a decisive lead. The fourth seed rolled off the final five games to snuff out the valiant upset bid by the Ukranian teen, 6-3, 6-7, 6-2, and advance to the fourth round.
Asked how she got the momentum back on her side, Osaka said, “It’s probably experience. I know she’s very young, and I think I’ve had more matches that are like this.”
“She was very good,” added Osaka. “I’m kind of scared how good she is going to be in the future.”
WHAT IT MEANS: Osaka survived despite the inspired play of Kostyuk and the hamstring injury that has hampered the Japanese player’s movement through three rounds.
Prior to the match, the main question posed on Friday in Arthur Ashe Stadium was how well Osaka would respond to her heavily taped hamstring. Taking the court, the 22-year-old declared, “Obviously, I’m not 100 percent, but I’m here so clearly I’m fit enough to play.”
Osaka has now won seven consecutive matches since the WTA tour resumed play. Yet she faces significant obstacles in her way. First up may be a potential quarterfinal against the big-hitting lefty Petra Kvitova, and beyond that looms a potential rematch of the 2018 US Open final versus Serena Williams. Osaka’s form is certain to be tested as she moves on.
Kostyuk is a hard-hitting 18-year-old with enormous promise and considerable confidence. She fought hard and earned her chances against the two-time Slam champ. The Ukrainian was playing her first Grand Slam as a direct entrant in Flushing Meadows, but it was a memorable one. Not only did she severely test Osaka, the oddsmakers’ favorite for the title, but in the second round, the Ukrainian defeated the No. 31 seed Anastasija Sevastova, a 2018 US Open semifinalist.
MATCH POINT: Though this third-rounder looked to be a total mismatch on paper—the fourth seed and former champ versus a teen ranked No. 137—Osaka had twice before lost in Grand Slams to players ranked outside the Top 100. Naomi had to dig deep to make sure Kostyuk wouldn’t add to that undesirable statistic.
