Sabalenka books Wimbledon fourth-round meeting against Osaka

Aryna Sabalenka, the world's top-ranked player, bolstered her chances of claiming a first Wimbledon title with a commanding win over Jelena Ostapenko on Friday, securing a spot in the next round with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph.

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Sabalenka's victory set up a last-16 encounter against Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, scheduled to take place on Sunday, as the Belarusian aims to extend her streak of consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final appearances to 15.

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Osaka, a former world number one, has made a strong impression thus far, reaching the fourth round at the All England Club for the first time, and will likely pose a significant challenge to Sabalenka, who has fallen in the semi-finals on each of her past three Wimbledon appearances.

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Sabalenka expressed her readiness to face Osaka, stating "Another aggressive player, another very powerful match, I'm ready to fight and do whatever it takes to get through," and holds a 3-1 winning record against her upcoming opponent.

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The 28-year-old Sabalenka previously met Osaka at the same stage of the French Open last month, emerging victorious in straight sets, but subsequently suffered a surprise loss to Diana Shnaider in the quarter-finals.

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Jelena Ostapenko, a former Roland Garros champion, offered some resistance in the second set but ultimately failed to pose a serious threat to Sabalenka's dominance.