By Shrivathsa Sridhar<\/p>\n
NEW YORK, Sept 5 (Reuters) \u2013 Naomi Osaka continued to impress with her style and staying power at the U.S. Open on Saturday as the Japanese 13th seed battled past Belgian Elise Mertens 6-3 3-6 7-5 to reach the fourth round.<\/p>\n
For her latest eye-catching walk-on look, the four-times major champion blended boardroom and locker-room aesthetics in a grey checked blazer-hoodie and wide-leg pants, putting a tailored twist on traditional pre-match attire.<\/p>\n
The 28-year-old, a two-times champion at Flushing Meadows, reeled off three games in succession to take a 4-1 lead in the first set under the lights of Louis Armstrong Stadium, clinching it with a battling hold thanks to a string of booming serves.<\/p>\n
Osaka pushed the 23rd seed hard at the start of the next set with some heavy hitting from the baseline before pouncing with a break in the third game, only to surrender the lead by dropping the next two games.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, I can\u2019t believe I won this match,\u201d Osaka said, thanking the crowd for the energy they provided.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a certain point where I put my heart on the court and kept trying in every point. Thank you so much, but honestly, I\u2019m shocked I won. I\u2019m not going to lie.\u201d<\/p>\n
After levelling the match to force a decider, Mertens capitalised on several unforced errors by a frustrated Osaka to gain the upper hand, but there would be another momentum shift in the match after a medical timeout for the Japanese player.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t play amazing and it was getting me down, sorry about my behaviour, for the little kids watching,\u201d said Osaka, who threw her racket to the floor at one point.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is my favourite tournament. I wanted to play well in front of you. I\u2019m just that glad I have the opportunity to play another match.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought I was going to be ok, but clearly I was shaky.\u201d<\/p>\n
After recovering a break late on, Osaka fired a huge ace to take a 6-5 lead and revved up her forehand in the following game to complete the win and earn a meeting with Elena Rybakina or Yuliia Starodubtseva in the round of 16.<\/p>\n
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in New York; Editing by Peter Rutherford)<\/p>\n