This archive report was first published on 9 August 2019.
Rematch Looms for Serena and Naomi ¶
Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams have advanced to the Rogers Cup quarter-finals, setting up their first meeting since the infamous row at the 2018 U.S. Open final.
Williams, a three-time Rogers Cup champion, overcame a sluggish start to earn a 7-5, 6-4 win over Russian qualifier Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Osaka, the Japanese second seed, closed out the day's action with a 7-6(4), 6-4 win over Polish qualifier Iga Swiatek.
Williams expressed her excitement about the upcoming match, saying, 'I've been actually looking forward to playing her for a while.'
Osaka also shared her thoughts, stating, 'Whenever I get the opportunity to play her, it's something that I feel is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.'
Defending champion Simona Halep secured a 6-2, 6-1 win over Russian wildcard Svetlana Kuznetsova in her first event since winning Wimbledon last month.
Other quarter-finalists include American Sofia Kenin and 2017 champion Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.
Earlier on Thursday, Czech third seed Karolina Pliskova beat Estonian Anett Kontaveit 6-3, 7-5 to set up a last-eight meeting with Canadian Bianca Andreescu.
