Coco Gauff celebrates her victory over Naomi Osaka in her round of 16 match at the San Jose State Tennis Center on Thursday AUG 4, 2022. (Ed Jay-Ultimate Sports Guide)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — This is Coco Gauff’s tournament to lose.

The 18-year-old sensation powered past four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka in straight sets 6-4 6-4 in her round of 16 match that highlighted Day 4 action at the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic on Wednesday evening at the San Jose State Tennis Center.

Gauff broke service once in the first and twice in the second set to punch her ticket to the quarterfinals on a night where a sold-out crowd of 2,250 witnessed the phenom in all her glory. Gauff will face second seeded Paula Badosa on Friday afternoon.

Osaka, down 1-5 in the second set, surged back into it winning the next three matches by fighting off match point seven times. In the end Gauff was too much to handle as she served to win the final game and the match that lasted just under 90 minutes.

“I think I have improved in all aspects (of my game),” said Gauff. “I think today showed it. I knew playing Naomi (Osaka) was going to be tough. I think she has one of the best baseline games in the game. I think today I really held my ground and was really a lot more of those rallies that she was and I think that shows how much I’ve been improving in the last few weeks.”

For Osaka, despite the outcome she was pleased to be back on the court playing again since last playing a tournament in May of this year.

“Dang I’m really sore!,” Osaka laughingly said when asked what her experience was like this week. “I totally forgot how that felt. It’s really good to get my foot in the door again. My friends, they cheered me up after the match. But honestly, I wasn’t that upset.

American Shelby Rogers continued her impressive run at Mubadala with her straight sets upset victory over number one seeded Maria Sakkari of Grece 6-1 6-3.

Rogers showcased her strong serve that had not only the number three player in the world flabbergasted but everyone in the crowd as well. She fired 10 aces during the match.

While Rogers looked confident and in control, Sakkari looked flat on the hard court and was not able to establish her game in the match that was completed in just 72 minutes.

“I think for me, this week I’m just stepping up to the line,” Rogers said. “First target that comes to my mind I’m going with it. I’m not second guessing myself. Just trusting it as much as I can. It’s a little bit of conviction and it’s been working.”

Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka won a tough three-set match against American Caroline Dolehide 5-7 6-1 7-5. Sabalenka started the match off slow but gained her form in the second set.

Dolehide didn’t go down quietly in the third set as she evened the set at 5-5. Sabalenka was able to break serve and win the final two games to advance to the Friday’s quarterfinals.

“It was a pretty crazy match,” said Sabalenka. “She (Dolehide) played really well. I didn’t play well in the first set, and I was struggling with my serve to be honest. In the second and third sets I was able to come back and fight through the up and downs during this match.”

In earlier action, Veronika Kudermetova defeated American Claire Liu in straight sets 6-2 7-5 to advance to her first Mubadala quarterfinals. She takes on number two seeded Ons Jabeur on Friday afternoon.

Kudermetova also has success in doubles action. Her and her partner Zhang Shuai defeated the team of Dolehide and Storm Sanders in a three-set match 6-2 5-7 10-8 to advance to the semifinals.

The final doubles match to conclude the evening itinerary had Shuko Aoyama and Hao Ching-Chan defeat the duo of Demi Schuurs and Desirae Krawcyzk 6-3 6-3 to advance to the semi-finals.

UP NEXT: It’s an all-American affair when Amanda Anisimova battles Rogers in the evening’s featured quarterfinal match on Friday at 7:00pm at the San Jose Tennis Center.