Staff Reporter.
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World number 49 Naomi Osaka is moving on to the National Bank Open’s fourth round after a 6-2, 6-4 win over 22nd-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia on Friday.
Osaka broke on a double fault to capture the first set in 30 minutes.
In the second set, Ostapenko netted a forehand to hand Osaka a break for a 3-1 lead but rallied and broke back in the next game on a forehand crosscourt winner.
Osaka broke again for a 4-2 lead when Ostapenko netted a forehand and Osaka served for the match leading 5-3, but Ostapenko saved a match point on a forehand crosscourt winner and broke when Osaka sent a forehand beyond the baseline.
The Japanese star responded by breaking Ostapenko at love in the final game, the Latvian netting a backhand to conclude matters after 72 minutes.
Osaka improved to 3-0 lifetime against the Latvian, having also beaten her at the 2016 French Open and last year’s US Open in the first round without dropping a set.
She will face the winner of a third-round match between two-time defending champion Jessica Pegula of the United States and Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia at the WTA 1000 tournament.
In other daytime results, 16th-seeded Clara Tauson of Denmark rolled to a 6-3, 6-0 third-round victory against Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva.
Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek, the tournament’s second seed, headlined the night session. She was scheduled to face Eva Lys of Germany in third-round action.