There will be a new women’s champion at the US Open as Naomi Osaka’s bid for a second straight title came to an end Monday.
Ranked No. 1 in the world, Osaka lost 7-5, 6-3 to the 13th-seeded Belinda Bencic.
Bencic advances to the quarterfinals where she will face Donna Vekic, a 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 winner over Julia Goerges.
This marks the second time Bencic has reached the quarters at Flushing Meadows, having previously done so in 2014 when she was 17 years old.
Bencic’s win snaps Osaka’s 17-match winning streak on hardcourt, while giving the Swiss player her fourth straight win against a No. 1.
With Osaka out, that leaves No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina as the highest seed remaining in the women’s draw. Serena Williams is seeded eighth and is the second-highest remaining seed.
Osaka’s loss means Ash Barty will be the new No. 1 ranked player in the world come next week. Barty was seeded second at the US Open and also failed to reach the quarterfinals, losing in straight sets Sunday.
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