Osaka Bounced From U.S. Open

NEW YORK (AP) – The U.S. Open will continue without the defending women’s singles champion.  Top-ranked Naomi Osaka was ousted from the tournament with a 7-5, 6-4 loss to No. 13 Belinda Bencic in the fourth round. Osaka was hampered by left knee pain and was visited by medical personnel during the second set. She looked nothing like the player who rolled to a 6-3, 6-0 win over 15-year-old Coco Gauff on Saturday.  Bencic will take on Donna Vekic in the quarterfinals. Vekic survived a match point to beat Julia Goerges 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 to reach the Final Eight in a Grand Slam for the first time. American Taylor Townsend’s longest trek through a grand slam has ended with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 loss to Bianca Andreescu. The Canadian made up for seven double-faults with six break points to reach the quarterfinals.  Elise Mertens rolled into the quarters with a 6-1, 6-1 win against American Kristie Ahn. Mertens hit 17 winners and took advantage of 25 unforced errors from her opponent.  On the men’s side, second seed Rafael Nadal easily passed his first test of the tournament and reached the quarterfinals at a ninth consecutive Grand Slam by downing 2014 champion Marin Cilic, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. Nadal dropped a set for the first time in this year’s tournament but quickly responded by breaking to lead 3-1 in the third set and was on his way.  Nadal is seeking his fourth title at Flushing Meadows and his 19th Grand Slam trophy overall.