Naomi Osaka put up a big performance on Monday to beat world No. 60 Katie Volynets 6-3 6-2 and set up a blockbuster Beijing quarterfinal versus fourth-seeded Coco Gauff.
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After not taking to the court on Sunday due to rain, the Japanese didn't appear to be bothered too much by that since she started her round-of-16 match with an early break in the second game and that was enough for her to seal the opener.
Up by a set, it didn't take long before the former world No. 1 went on to open an even bigger after claiming back-to-back breaks to win five games in a row and go 5-1 up before serving out for a dominant win the eighth game.
During the match, Osaka was basically untouchable on her serve as she fired five aces, won 82 percent of her first serve points and didn't face a single break point.
"For me, I wanted to keep growing from my last match. I was just trying to be really aggressive from the beginning. ... I felt like I really shouldn't care too much about my unforced errors rather than just keeping her on the move," the four-time Grand Slam champion said following her win.
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Why Osaka should feel very well going into the Gauff match?
By beating Volynets, the 26-year-old won her ninth consecutive match in Beijing - she won the title at the China Open in 2019 and this is her first appearance at the tournament since then.
Also, before coming to China's capital, the Japanese was heavily struggling with her game and had been without back-to-back wins since mid-June.
But in Beijing, the former world No. 1 has been looking pretty good on the court so far and Gauff definitely won't take her for granted when they meet.
Like their previous four meetings, their fifth will also be played on a hard court. In the past, Osaka and Gauff split wins in their four clashes.
