2020 US Open: Americans Jennifer Brady, Shelby Rogers reach QF with massive wins

Sunday’s day session at the 2020 US Open was marked by upsets in women’s singles. Three of the four fourth-round matches were played in the day session and all three had surprising ends.

Jennifer Brady was the first to start of the session of upsets in the top-half of the women’s draw. The 28th seeded American hammered past 17th seed and 2016 champion, Angelique Kerber 6-1, 6-4 in an hour and 29 minutes.

Brady dictated the entirety of the first set with Kerber looking out of sorts, both physically and tactically against her hard-swinging opponent. Brady extended her opening-set momentum to the beginning of the second set and went up an early break. However, there was a brief stopping of the proceedings in the second set as Brady took a medical time-out (MTO) while leading 3-2 for treatment on her left thigh.

Upon her return, Brady faced break points for the first time in the match but did well to save them and maintain her lead by going up 4-2. Trying to serve for 5-3, she yet again faced break points but did not lose her focus and held on to her one-break-lead advantage before eventually serving out the match in the 10th game.

In her post-match press conference, Brady noted, “I played a spectacular first set. I don’t think I made very many errors, if any, to be honest. I was getting a little frustrated; I felt a little pain in my leg, but I really just wanted to close it out in two sets.”

This is the first time in her career that the 25-year-old has made it to the last-eight of a Major. She will take on Yulia Putinsteva in the quarter-finals.

2020 US Open: Yulia Putintseva and Shelby Rogers win three-setters

The 23rd seed Kazakh defeated eighth-seeded Petra Martic in their pre-quarter-final clash. Putintseva won 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in two hours and 37 minutes to reach the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows for the first time in her career.

The final upset of the day came courtesy of Shelby Rogers. The unseeded American ousted sixth seed Petra Kvitova in three sets, saving four match points in the process. Rogers won 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(6) in two hours and 40 minutes.

Trying to advance to the first Major semi-final at the 2020 US Open, Rogers will play Naomi Osaka in the quarter-finals. The world no. 93 leads Osaka in the head-to-head 1-0, with their lone previous meeting coming at the Volvo Car Open in Charleston, in 2017.

Photo Credit: Mike Lawrence/USTA

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