US Open 2020 - Naomi Osaka honours George Floyd with mask before reaching semis

ByEurosport

Updated 09/09/2020 at 07:02 GMT

Naomi Osaka brought seven facemasks to the US Open to highlight racial injustice and on the basis of her impressive showing the quarter-finals on Tuesday, Flushing Meadows looks destined to see them all.

Naomi Osaka's sharp serving and superior return game helped her past American Shelby Rogers and into the semi-finals of the US Open as the Japanese honoured George Floyd at Flushing Meadows.

Before the 6-3 6-4 victory, the former champion unveiled her fifth mask emblazoned with the name of Floyd, the Black American who died in police custody in Minneapolis in May.

Two more remain in Osaka's kit bag for the semi-final against American Jenny Brady and potentially her second US Open final at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday.

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"I just have a feeling," she told ESPN, explaining how she decided which mask to wear.

"I feel like I'm a vessel in order to spread awareness."

Osaka, whose career record against Rogers was 0-3 coming into the match, broke at love to take a 5-3 lead in the first set where Rogers hit 16 unforced errors to Osaka's five and held serve to claim the set.

The fourth seeded Osaka broke again early in the second set for a 2-1 lead and sealed the win when Rogers dumped a forehand into the net on match point for her 28th unforced error.

"Honestly, I felt like she had the upper hand because I'd never beaten her and those memories are stuck in my head," said the 22-year-old Osaka, who last faced Rogers in 2017.

"So, yeah, I consider this a little bit of revenge."

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Osaka once again had tape wrapped around her left thigh but said it was just as a precaution.

Despite the loss Rogers will hold her head high after the 27-year-old saved four match points to defeat Petra Kvitova to reach her first US Open quarter-final.

Next up for Osaka is in-form American Jennifer Brady, who beat Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva in straight sets earlier in the day.

"I think she's a really amazing player, she has the variety that I wish I had so I'm a bit jealous," Osaka said.

"But, yeah, she's super nice and I think it's going to be a really tough match and I think we're both going to try our best."

With reporting from Reuters

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