Julia Goerges knocks Naomi Osaka out of the Volvo Car Open

The number-five seed reached her first quarterfinal since Februar

Published Apr 05, 2018

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CHARLESTON, S.C. — If Julia Goerges has shown one thing this tournament, it’s that you can never count her out.

The No. 5 seed, who rallied from a set down in her opening match against Kristie Ahn, had to stage a comeback again today to defeat the No. 10 seed Naomi Osaka in straight sets, 7-6 (4), 6-3.

On a perfect spring day, Osaka continued her stellar form from her opener against Goerges’ countrywoman, Laura Siegemund. The 20-year-old went up an early break, then consolidated it to take a 4-1 lead.

Match point from Goerges' win over Osaka in Charleston:

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After a quick hold, the German went up three break points on Osaka’s serve. Osaka rallied to get it to deuce, but Goerges won the next two points to get the match back on serve.

In the following game, Goerges dropped serve again, giving Osaka a 5-3 lead. However, she was unable to serve out the set and, after the two exchanged holds, the opener went to a tiebreak. This year’s Indian Wells champion went up a mini-break early, but Goerges came back from there to take the opening set, 7-6 (4).

After storming through her opening service game in the second set, Goerges gained a quick break on Osaka’s serve to go up 2-0. Osaka managed to claw her way back and the two were on even terms at 3-3. As Osaka served at 3-4, she lost serve to go down 5-3.

The tour’s leader in aces this year served two of them in the final game to reach her first quarterfinal since February in Doha. From the end of 2017 to January this year, Goerges won three titles, the first of which—at the Kremlin Cup in October—broke a six-year title drought. That 2011 title was in Stuttgart on clay, a sure sign that she knows how to play on the dirt—something Osaka witnessed today.

Julia Goerges knocks Naomi Osaka out of the Volvo Car Open

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