Gauff Beats Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka in Straight Sets

Coco Gauff, of the United States, tosses the wldball for a serve to Naomi Osaka, of Japan, at the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic tennis tournament in San Jose, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. (AP)
Coco Gauff, of the United States, tosses the wldball for a serve to Naomi Osaka, of Japan, at the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic tennis tournament in San Jose, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. (AP)
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Gauff Beats Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka in Straight Sets

Coco Gauff, of the United States, tosses the wldball for a serve to Naomi Osaka, of Japan, at the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic tennis tournament in San Jose, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. (AP)
Coco Gauff, of the United States, tosses the wldball for a serve to Naomi Osaka, of Japan, at the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic tennis tournament in San Jose, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. (AP)

Coco Gauff held off four-time major champion Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday night to advance to the quarterfinals at the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic.

Gauff, the No. 6 seed, held all of her serves in the opening set and finished the 45-minute session with three aces. Osaka had the first double-fault of the match early in the second set and Gauff took advantage for a 2-1 lead. Gauff quickly built a double-break lead at 5-1 and led 40-0 before Osaka saved four match points and used her first ace to make it 5-2.

Osaka then broke Gauff for the first time in the match and overcame another 40-0 deficit with five straight points for 5-4. But Gauff closed it out on her eighth match point with an unreturnable serve.

“The most proud was how I responded mentally,” Gauff said. “I could have easily folded in those couple of double-faults and match points that I lost. But I kept telling myself ‘Another point, another chance’ and then the music kind of helped on the bench. I was trying to sing along to the song to get me out of the match.”

Gauff’s victory evened the series with Osaka at two wins apiece. Gauff will face No. 2 seed Paula Badosa on Friday.

Other winners in San Jose were Shelby Rogers and No. 4 seed Aryna Sabalenka.

Rogers beat top-seeded Maria Sakkari 6-1, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals for the third time this season. Coming off an opening-round win against 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, she beat Sakkari, a 2018 finalist and 2019 semifinalist in San Jose, for the third straight time.

Sabalenka came back from trailing 5-3 in the third set to edge Caroline Dolehide 5-7, 6-1, 7-5. Sabalenka overcame 20 double-faults in the match to advance to play No. 7 seed Daria Kasatkina of Russia.

The schedule for Friday in the hard-court US Open tune-up includes Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur, who will face Veronika Kudermetova.



Ousmane Dembélé Back in PSG Squad to Take on Nice in French League

PSG’s Ousmane Dembele, center, duels for the ball with Rennes’ Christopher Wooh during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Rennes at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
PSG’s Ousmane Dembele, center, duels for the ball with Rennes’ Christopher Wooh during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Rennes at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
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Ousmane Dembélé Back in PSG Squad to Take on Nice in French League

PSG’s Ousmane Dembele, center, duels for the ball with Rennes’ Christopher Wooh during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Rennes at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
PSG’s Ousmane Dembele, center, duels for the ball with Rennes’ Christopher Wooh during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Rennes at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Ousmane Dembélé is back with Paris Saint-Germain after he was left out from the squad that lost 2-0 to Arsenal in the Champions League midweek.

PSG coach Luis Enrique was criticized after the loss for not selecting Dembélé, one of the most creative players in the team following the departure of Kylian Mbappé to Real Madrid.

Dembélé was selected in a group of 21 players named by Enrique traveling to Nice on Sunday night. PSG can move back to the top of the French league standings with a win, The AP reported.

Enrique had blamed Dembélé for a perceived lack of commitment from the France forward but did not give more details. He denied he had a personal argument with him after L’Equipe reported the duo verbally clashed following PSG’s 3-1 win against Rennes in the French league last weekend. Dembélé had an assist in the match.

“There is just a problem of commitment toward the team, it’s not a problem between the player and the coach,” Enrique said through a translator.

PSG traveled to London with 22 players but without Dembélé, who has been a key element in PSG’s unbeaten start to the season. In six Ligue 1 matches, Dembélé has scored four goals and added three assists.

“I took the best possible decision,” Enrique said, adding he was supported in his choice by the club director.

Enrique’s other options up front to cover Dembélé include Randal Kolo Muani and Désiré Doué.

“Other players will be able to take over,” PSG right back Achraf Hakimi said. “The most important thing in the team is the group, and our group is united.”