NEW YORK — Naomi Osaka produced a commanding performance to knock out third seed Coco Gauff 6-3 6-2 in a highly anticipated fourth round showdown between two former U.S. Open champions on Monday.

After years of bitter disappointment at the year’s final major, Osaka showed flashes of her old brilliance as she took control of the match from the start, while 2023 champion Gauff struggled with her forehand and her serve.

The result carried Osaka into the Flushing Meadows quarter-finals for the first time in five years and she will next play Czech 11th seed Karolina Muchova.

“The main thing I want to take away from this tournament is just smiling and having fun,” said four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka, who triumphed in New York in 2018 and 2020 but had failed to advance past the third roun

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