No. 14 Osaka to face world No. 1 Sabalenka in Wimbledon round of 16

No. 14-ranked Naomi Osaka advanced to the Wimbledon round of 16 after defeating Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-3 on Friday in 65 minutes. The victory marks the first time Osaka has reached the fourth round at the All England Club. She previously exited in the third round on three occasions.

Path to the match Osaka reached the second week at the French Open earlier this year and reached a grass-court final last week before retiring with a foot injury. She told reporters she now understands grass-court tennis better than in past years. She has compiled a 7-1 record on grass since her loss to Sabalenka in Paris and has dropped only one set during that stretch.

Upcoming opponent Sabalenka leads their head-to-head record 3-0 this year.

The world No. 1 has reached the quarterfinals or better in her last 14 major tournaments. Osaka said her coach created drills to help her adjust to the speed and depth of the ball on grass after the Paris defeat.