Naomi Osaka breaks new ground with first Wimbledon fourth round

Naomi Osaka reached the Wimbledon fourth round for the first time on Friday, sweeping past Daria Kasatkina in a dominant 6-1 6-3 victory that lasted just 65 minutes on Court One.

The former world number one, a four-time Grand Slam champion on hard courts, has historically struggled on grass but has looked increasingly comfortable this season. She made her first grass-court final at the Bad Homburg Open in June, before arriving at the All England Club with renewed confidence.

Dominant display

Osaka was in imperious form against Kasatkina, losing only five points on serve in the first set and hitting just six unforced errors. The Japanese 14th seed broke early in both sets and never looked troubled, despite Kasatkina briefly recovering an early break in the second set.

• Osaka won 6-1 6-3 in 65 minutes
• She committed only six unforced errors in the first set
• Osaka has not dropped a set so far at Wimbledon
• This is her first fourth-round appearance at the tournament

What's next

Osaka could face top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the next round, provided Sabalenka beats Jelena Ostapenko later on Friday. The potential clash would be a major test for Osaka as she continues her return to form after maternity leave.

Speaking after the match, Osaka expressed her comfort on grass and joked about her daughter Shai's third birthday earlier in the week. The victory continues a promising run for the 28-year-old, who also reached the last 16 at Roland Garros for the first time in May.