Osaka, Svitolina cruise into Australian Open quarters

Osaka, Svitolina cruise into Australian Open quarters

Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka . (File Photo: Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai/IANS)

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine. (File Photo: Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai/IANS)

Melbourne, Jan 21 (IANS) Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka and Ukrainian Elina Svitolina on Monday cruised into the quarter finals of the Australian Open beating Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova (13) and Madison Keys (17) of the US respectively.

US Open champion Osaka won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 against Sevastova, who could not match her best record in Melbourne after reaching the quarter-finals in 2011, reports Efe news.

Svitolina upstaged Keys, whom she defeated for the first time in her career, 6-2, 1-6, 6-2 in one hour and 40 minutes of play.

Although Keys won five games in a row, Svitolina was more accurate when it came to winning break points when she managed to fend off five of them until she eventually won in the third set.

If Svitolina went on to win the tournament, it would be her first major title and she would become the first Ukrainian to win a Grand Slam.

--IANS

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