{blackbabes} Osaka wears mask in memory of Breonna Taylor at US Open

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NEW YORK (AP) -- Before and after her first-round victory at the U.S. Open, Naomi Osaka wore a mask bearing the name of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman who was fatally shot by police.

It's just one of seven face coverings, each in honor of a different person, that Osaka brought to Flushing Meadows - the same number of wins it takes to claim a Grand Slam trophy. The world's highest-earning female athlete hopes she can get the chance to raise awareness about racial injustice by using each mask during her stay in New York.

''It's quite sad that seven masks isn't enough for the amount of names, so hopefully I'll get to the finals so you can see all of them,'' said Osaka, the champion at the 2018 U.S. Open and 2019 Australian Open.

She overcame some uneven play late Monday night to beat 81st-ranked Misaki Doi 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in an all-Japanese matchup in an empty Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The No. 4-seeded Osaka's movement was an issue at times; she is coming off a left hamstring injury that forced her to withdraw from the final of the Western & Southern Open on Saturday.

It was during that tournament last week that Osaka took a public stand by saying she would refuse to play her semifinal, joining athletes in various other sports who walked out to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by a police officer in Wisconsin.

Osaka's move prompted tournament organizers to halt action entirely for a day. When play resumed, Osaka agreed to compete, after all, because the day off for the Western & Southern Open brought additional attention to the issue.

Osaka walked out on court for her match Monday night with a black mask and white lettering with the name of Taylor, a 26-year-old who was fatally shot when police officers burst into her Louisville, Kentucky, apartment using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation in March.

Osaka put the mask back on for her postmatch interview.

Against Doi, Osaka wound up with 38 unforced errors, 13 more than her winners total. But after a forehand into the net gave the second set to Doi, Osaka quickly went ahead in the third by breaking in the opening game.

Doi never has been past the fourth round at any Grand Slam tournament. She is now 1-8 for her career at the U.S. Open and 0-18 against opponents ranked in the top 10.

Osaka is now 34-1 in Grand Slam matches when taking the first set; the only loss came against Simona Halep at the 2016 French Open.

Next up for her is a match against Camila Giorgi of Italy.

''She's very unpredictable for me,'' Osaka said, ''so I guess I just have to be on my toes.''

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{blackbabes} Serena starts latest bid for 24th Slam on US Open day two

 

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Serena Williams continues her protracted pursuit of a record-equalling 24th singles Grand Slam title on day two of the US Open at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday.

It has been more than three years since Williams won her 23rd Grand Slam title at the 2017 Australian Open -- when she was already pregnant with daughter Olympia.

The 38-year-old has come close since, reaching four major finals only to come away empty handed.

She needs one more to equal Margaret Court's record and starts her latest bid against the 96th-ranked Kristie Ahn at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.

Williams's chances of matching Court, and breaking out of a tie with Chris Evert for most US Open women's titles with six, should be improved by the absence of several top players because of coronavirus concerns or injury.

World number one Ashleigh Barty, the second-ranked Simona Halep and Canadian Bianca Andreescu -- who stunned Williams in last year's final -- are all absent from the behind-closed doors tournament.

Also up on Tuesday is former men's world number one and 2012 US Open champion Andy Murray.

The Scotsman, who is battling back from a string of injuries that have ravaged the past three years of his career, takes on Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka.

The men's second and third seeds, Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev respectively start their quests for a first Grand Slam title on Tuesday.

They are high up in the draw due to the absence of Rafael Nadal, over coronavirus fears, and Swiss legend Roger Federer due to injury.

In the women's competition, second seed Sofia Kenin takes on Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium and in a "Battle of Britain" contest ninth seed Johanna Konta is up against Heather Watson.

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{blackbabes} 2018 champ Osaka edges Doi in 3 sets at US Open

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Two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka managed to overcome her own uneven play to pull out a three-set victory over Misaki Doi in an all-Japanese matchup in the first round of the U.S. Open.

The No. 4-seeded Osaka's movement was an issue at times but she managed to win 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 against the 81st-ranked Doi in an empty Arthur Ashe Stadium as midnight approached.

Osaka made 38 unforced errors, 13 more than her winner total.

Osaka is coming off a left hamstring injury that forced her to withdraw from the final of the Western & Southern Open on Saturday.

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{blackbabes} US Open Glance: Serena, Venus Williams in Ashe on Day 2

 

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NEW YORK (AP) -- A quick look at the U.S. Open:

LOOKAHEAD TO TUESDAY

The Williams sisters both are scheduled to play in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Day 2 of the U.S. Open - Serena during the day, Venus at night. They have won a combined eight titles at Flushing Meadows; Serena has six of those and also was the runner-up in New York each of the past two years. Serena begins her latest attempt to get a 24th Grand Slam singles trophy by facing Kristie Ahn, while Venus will take on No. 20 seed Karolina Muchova. The Ashe schedule opens with the return of Andy Murray, the 2012 U.S. Open champion, who is still working his way back from two hip operations. He hasn't played in a Grand Slam tournament since the 2019 Australian Open. Another comeback will come at Court 11: International Tennis Hall of Fame member Kim Clijsters, out of retirement at age 37, plays her first match at a major championship since 2012 when she meets 21st-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova.

TUESDAY'S FORECAST

Partly cloudy. High of 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius).

MONDAY'S WEATHER

Partly cloudy. High of 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celsius).

MONDAY'S KEY RESULTS

Men's first round: No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-2, 6-1, 6-1; No. 5 Alexander Zverev beat Kevin Anderson 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-3, 7-5; No. 12 Denis Shapovalov beat Sebastian Korda 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Cameron Norrie beat No. 9 Diego Schwartzman 3-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 7-5; Egor Gerasimov beat No. 18 Dusan Lajovic 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Jack Sock beat Pablo Cuevas 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (2).

Women's first round: No. 1 Karolina Pliskova beat Anhelina Kalinina 6-4 6-0; No. 6 Petra Kvitova beat Irina-Camelia Begu 6-3, 6-2; No. 17 Angelique Kerber beat Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4, 6-4; No. 12 Marketa Vondrousova beat Greet Minnen 6-1, 6-4; No. 30 Kristina Mladenovic beat Hailey Baptiste 7-5, 6-2; No. 31 Anastasija Sevastova beat Coco Gauff 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

STAT OF THE DAY

3, 13 - Aces, double-faults by Coco Gauff in the 16-year-old's first Grand Slam first-round exit of her young career.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

''New York is known for its vibe, for its energy, the fans are so electric. ... It's definitely a change, but it's kind of peaceful, you know. We have our own suites and it's really nice. We have so much space on the grounds.'' - Shapovalov on life without fans at this year's U.S. Open.

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{blackbabes} Serena Williams on managing money, whether you're broke or a tennis superstar

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Tennis superstar Serena Williams, who rose from modest beginnings to earning millions during her luminous career, says her outlook on money has not changed: Be responsible and manage your spending.

That was the overall theme of her message to college students of historically Black colleges and young professionals during a webcast focusing on money management.

Williams, who used the JPMorgan Chase Chats for an open conversation about money with a young adult audience from across the country, said her family was not well off growing up, but managing spending was emphasized when she was a kid.

"My family wasn't wealthy, but we were always taught that when you work hard, you reap the benefits as a result," Williams told NBC News via email. "I think it's important for young people to really understand how to spend money — including how to better self-evaluate needs and wants — to make truly informed decisions versus spending from pure emotion. This is still something that's true for me, and an approach I believe is incredibly important for parents to teach and model, as well."

Her father, Richard, not only got Williams and her sister Venus into tennis, helping to foster one of the most successful duos in the sport's history, but he also used other athletes' stories to illuminate a larger point for his daughters.

"At a young age, it was instilled in me that I shouldn't splurge," Williams said. "I remember going to parks and playing tennis with my dad and he'd say, 'Athletes always lose their money.' He made it clear that as an athlete, there was a risk of losing what you earned."

She added, "I think this idea rings true no matter what you do. As a result, the concept of saving money stuck with me throughout my career. Even early on, I remained focused on the fact that when I earned money, I needed to be mindful of how those dollars were either spent, invested or saved."

Leslie Gillin, chief marketing officer for JPMorgan Chase, said the company partnered with Williams because she has "first-hand experience in what it takes to persevere, redirect and make opportunities work ... She has great insights into how to know your worth, learning to manage her earnings and prioritize savings, and learn how to build for the future."

Williams, who is scheduled to compete this week in the U.S. Open in pursuit of her 24th Grand Slam title, has made more money playing tennis ($92.7 million) than any woman in the history of the game.

Now a 38-year-old mother, Williams said she curbed her spending through her young adult years, but still wasn't fully educated on money management.

"When I received my first bit of prize money, I knew right away I needed to put it in the bank," Williams, who has earned another $90 million in endorsements over her career, said. "Though I had the money, what I didn't have was the understanding of how it works. For example, what happens if you put money into a savings account, invest it, or just deposit it in a checking account? I didn't learn those things until later in my career.

"However, as I matured," she added, "I realized that earning money is a reward, and those rewards have to be treated with the utmost care and consideration, and it is important to keep more of what you earn and make it grow for the future."

During the webcast, Williams said she wanted young viewers — no matter how much money they had — to learn how to be responsible with it, especially when some people may have extra time during the pandemic without school or full-time work.

"Learn! Think about new skills. Innovate. Get creative with your time. And in all of that, think about how to make the most of any money coming in," she said, adding, "the earlier we learn how to manage what we earn and save, the more ready we are to face life's ups and downs."

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{blackbabes} Mariah Carey Christmas Special Set At Apple

 

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Mariah Carey is teaming with Apple on a Christmas special set for premiere later this year on Apple TV+. Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special will debut on the heels of the 25th anniversary of Carey's bestselling holiday anthem "All I Want For Christmas Is You."

It's described as an "innovative special" that "will combine music, dancing and animation driven by a universally heartwarming story that brings the world together." Carey stars along with a star-studded lineup of surprise guest appearances, according to Apple.

In addition to Carey, Ian Stewart, Raj Kapoor and Ashley Edens executive produce for Done + Dusted production company (The Disney Family Singalong, John Legend's A Legendary Christmas with John and Chrissy). Hamish Hamilton (Oscars, Super Bowl Halftime show), and Roman Coppola (Mozart in the Jungle, Moonrise Kingdom) will direct the special.

Carey recently announced her upcoming memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, set for release September 29 from Andy Cohen Books.

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{blackbabes} Serena sets sights -- again -- on 24th Grand Slam title

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Serena Williams' protracted pursuit of Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam titles resumes at a 2020 US Open that promises to be unlike any other.

The absence of fans because of coronavirus concerns means the buzz and hubbub that define the US Open will be missing.

Williams, whose 23 major victories are an Open-era record, will have nothing but her own skill and will to get her through the tough moments as she seeks a record-breaking seventh title on the hard courts at Flushing Meadows.

"I don't dislike it and that's weird because I am a player that is so emotional and so, like, a crowd player," Williams said upon returning to action after the WTA's coronavirus shutdown. "Kind of reminds me of the junior days. There is something nostalgic about that."

Playing in a virtually empty Ashe stadium, which seats more than 23,000, could be another story.

"Playing in New York is going to be interesting, because the stadium is huge," Williams said. "But I do practice in empty stadiums, so I have played in New York on Arthur Ashe Stadium when it was empty and it was great.

"I guess I have to kind of lean on that."

It has been more than three years since Williams won her 23rd Grand Slam title at the 2017 Australian Open -- when she was already pregnant with daughter Olympia.

She's come close since, reaching four major finals only to come up empty handed.

"I've definitely been stuck," said Williams, who seems to have grown weary of the questions about Court's record if not the chase itself.

Even if she reaches the milestone, she said, it would provide no sort of punctuation mark.

"I'm never satisfied, that's the story of my career," Williams said. "I'll never be satisfied until I retire, that's just my personality."

Her chances of matching court, and breaking out of a tie with Chris Evert for most US Open women's titles with six, would seem to be improved with a bevy of top players, including world number two Simona Halep and Canadian Bianca Andreescu -- who stunned Williams in last year's final -- because of coronavirus concerns or injury.

But Williams has looked vulnerable in two tournaments since the WTA tour returned to action, laboring through lengthy matches before earlier than expected exits at Lexington and the Western & Southern Open -- held this year on the same New York courts that will host the Open.

- Learning to win -

She fell to 116th-ranked Shelby Rogers in Lexington, and squandered a commanding lead in a loss to 21st-ranked Maria Sakkari of Greece in New York.

"I've just got to start learning how to win big points," Williams said after she was unable to serve out a straight-sets victory against Sakkari. "If I could just focus on how to win that one point, that would be better.

"I had so many opportunities to win and I have to figure that one out, like how to start winning those matches again."

Defeats like those have seen Williams lose the aura of invincibility she once carried.

And upstart challengers this year won't find themselves up against the will of thousands of pro-Williams fans.

But Sakkari said that for young players there was still a measure of trepidation taking on an opponent who shaped their tennis dreams.

"I remember myself watching tennis and I remember myself watching Serena," the 25-year-old said. "That's the image that I have in my mind.

"I mean, obviously she's like the GOAT (Greatest of All Time)," Sakkari said. "Having her on the tour still, it's incredible."

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{blackbabes} New Trailer For 'I Have A Dream Project'

 

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I Have A Dream Project TRAILER

Video: https://vimeo.com/452685404

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{blackbabes} Osaka surprised by impact of her call for racial justice

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(Reuters) - Naomi Osaka said on Friday she never thought her call for racial justice would garner the attention it did and she does not want to be called brave for taking a stand that led to a one-day stoppage at this week's U.S. Open tune-up event in New York.

The 22-year-old Japanese had initially said she would not play her Thursday semi-final in a bid to spark a conversation about racism following the police shooting of a Black man in Wisconsin last week.

Officials then suspended that day's matches and on Friday Osaka walked on the court for her semi-final wearing a T-shirt with a picture of a clenched fist and the words "Black Lives Matter" on the front.

Osaka said she thought the reaction to her stance was something more reserved for some of the game's bigger names like Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams.

"It's definitely a bit eye-opening but in an odd way, because I only previously thought, like, the Big Three and Serena would have that type of power," Osaka said after booking a spot in Saturday's Western & Southern Open final.

"But also, at the same time, I recognise the fact that maybe the WTA and ATP wanted to do something like this but they needed a push from a player to do something like this? So maybe I was sort of their, you know, that one player."

Osaka said she made a promise to herself during the sport's nearly five-month COVID-19 hiatus to not be shy in the future when it came to speaking her mind.

"During quarantine, the biggest thing I thought was, like, when I get out of this, I want to grow as a person and I don't want to have that many regrets going forward," said Osaka.

"I'm not sure if it's a light bulb or if there was any particular moment that sparked me to speak up, but I do feel like it's been building for a while."

After posting her announcement on Wednesday, Osaka said it was a bit frightening and that she had to turn off her phone because she gets anxious whenever people talk about her.

"I don't feel like I'm being brave. I just feel like I'm doing what I should be doing," she added.

"Honestly, when people say courageous or anything, I don't really resonate that well with it. I just feel like -- not common sense, but this is what I am supposed to be doing in this moment."

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{blackbabes} Serena's pursuit of number 24 follows lacklustre tune-up

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(Reuters) - Serena Williams will face a depleted field at this year's U.S. Open but her recent form has made clear that her latest quest for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title will hardly be a cakewalk.

Since tennis returned from a COVID-19 hiatus that lasted nearly five months, Williams has gone 3-2 in matches that all lasted three sets and have taken a toll on her weary legs.

"It's hard to play the way I have been playing and to stay positive," said Williams. "And to play nine hours in a week is too much. I don't usually play like that. It's all new for me."

After falling to world number 116 Shelby Rogers in the Top Seed Open quarter-finals, Williams went on to the Western & Southern Open where she lost in the third round to 13th-seeded Greek Maria Sakkari.

Williams squandered an opportunity to close out the Sakkari contest on serve in the second set and started getting cramps as her opponent launched a comeback.

"I don't think that helps mentally when it's like you know the match is over and you have won the match, and now your legs were already tired and now they are even more tired, and now it's even more tired," said Williams.

"I put myself in a bad situation. It's like dating a guy that you know sucks. That's literally what I keep doing out here. It's like I have got to get rid of this guy. It just makes no sense. It's frustrating."

With so many of the world's top players opting not to travel to New York amid the COVID-19 outbreak for the Aug. 31-Sept. 13 U.S. Open, the path to a Grand Slam title might never again appear so undaunting for Williams.

The 38-year-old will be seeded third at the U.S. Open and was drawn into the same quarter as former champion Sloane Stephens, 2017 finalist Madison Keys, two-times Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza and Sakkari.

"If she doesn't win this one, I would think people, and more specifically she herself, would most probably doubt that she can win another one," seven-times Grand Slam champion and Eurosport analyst Mats Wilander said.

"If she doesn't win this one, it's going to be harder to win the next one and the one after that."

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{blackbabes} Osaka to face Azarenka for WTA title, Raonic advances

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Japanese fourth seed Naomi Osaka won the semi-final match she once vowed not to play, defeating Belgium's Elise Mertens on Friday to reach the ATP and WTA Western & Southern Open final.

Osaka's 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) victory advanced her into Saturday's championship match against two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka in the same New York Covid-19 quarantine bubble where the US Open will begin on Monday.

Azarenka, from Belarus, defeated British eighth seed Johanna Konta 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the other women's semi-final at the US Open tuneup, which is typically played in Cincinnati but was moved in the wake of the deadly virus outbreak.

On the men's side, Canada's Milos Raonic eliminated Greek fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 to reach an ATP final against the later winner between top-ranked Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Spanish eighth seed Roberto Bautista Agut.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Osaka said Wednesday she wouldn't play in the semi-finals to protest the police shooting of African-American Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

"Before I am an athlete, I am a black woman. And as a black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis," Osaka said Wednesday.

"I don't expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing, but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport I consider that a step in the right direction."

Osaka said she was "sick to her stomach" and "exhausted" by repeated violence against blacks by US police.

Her move, coming in the wake of the Milwaukee Bucks boycotting their NBA playoff game for the same reason, prompted the WTA and ATP to postpone all semi-final matches to Friday, which inspired Osaka to change her mind and play.

"For me, this is very different from any semis I've ever played," Osaka said just before walking on the court Friday. "Definitely, the emotions are very different. All I want to focus on is the tennis ball."

Mertens was supportive of Osaka and unfazed by the off-again, on-again status of the match.

"I totally get her reason 100% so I'm totally supporting her too," Mertens said before the match. "Let's go to the semi-final and see who wins."

Osaka, the 2018 US Open and 2019 Australian Open champion, broke for a 2-0 lead and again in the eighth game to take the first set in 38 minutes.

The 22-year-old Japanese star, who saved 18 of the 21 break points she faced, broke for a 2-0 lead in set two before Mertens rolled through the next four games. Osaka broke back in the seventh game and they battled into the tie-breaker, winning when Mertens hit a backhand wide.

- Raonic backs Osaka move -

Raonic commended Osaka's move, saying, "It's a human right not to have that fear. I hope there is a change in the future and that we as athletes can be a small part of that."

Raonic saved a break point in the tie-breaker on the way to taking the first set in 55 minutes, then hit a backhand winner off the net cord to break for a 3-1 lead on the way to reaching the final.

"It was tough," Raonic said. "I stuck with my game and it paid off. I'm happy with my tennis. I took my time to get healthy and put in the work and it has paid off."

Raonic, the 2016 Wimbledon runner-up in his lone Grand Slam final, has never gone past the fourth round at Flushing Meadows but hopes a title could signal a breakthrough.

"It would be incredible," he said. "I want to go to heights I haven't achieved yet and this is part of it. I hope to get that next step tomorrow."

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{blackbabes} Tia Mowry Inks 3-Picture Deal With Lifetime To Headline & Produce Holiday Movies

 

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Tia Mowry will be part of Lifetime's original movie franchise for years to come. The Game and Sister, Sister alumna has closed a three-picture deal with the A+E network to star in and produce three holiday movies for their It's a Wonderful Lifetime slate. The telefilms will air beginning 2021. The pact comes on the heels of Mowry starring in two back-to-back Lifetime holiday movies – A Very Vintage Christmas (2019) and My Christmas Inn (2018) – both of which will also be featured during this year's holiday schedule.

Mowry will produce the three films under the deal via her production company with executive Tiegen Kosiak.

"We are committed to fostering long-term relationships with beloved talent that our viewers connect with and are thrilled to have Tia jumping on our sleigh," said Tanya Lopez, EVP of Movies, Limited Series & Original Movie Acquisitions, Lifetime and LMN. "Like our holiday movies, Tia is fun, spirited and relatable and we look forward to creating new holiday viewing traditions with her for years to come."

Mowry has appeared in over 400 hours of television, including three television series that have successfully gone into syndication. In addition to A Very Vintage Christmas and My Christmas Inn, Mowry starred in the Lifetime romance Double Wedding, for which she received an NAACP Image Award nomination. Mowry currently stars in the Netflix series Family Reunion.

"I am excited to collaborate with Lifetime both in front of and behind the camera." Mowry added. "Christmas is one my favorite times of the year and Lifetime Christmas movies have always encompassed that. I'm looking forward to taking my production company to a whole new level and being a part of the creative process from beginning to end."

This year's It's a Wonderful Lifetime programming event will kick off October 23 and feature 24/7 holiday-programming all the way to Christmas, in addition to 30 new holiday movie premieres.

Mowry is repped by UTA, Vault Entertainment and Felker, Toczek, Suddleson, Abramson.

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{blackbabes} Osaka-Gauff rematch could happen in US Open's 3rd round

 

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American teenager Coco Gauff and two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka could face each other at the U.S. Open again after Thursday's draw for the Grand Slam tournament set up a possible third-round rematch.

The U.S. Tennis Association quietly posted the women's and men's singles draws online, without the usual TV hoopla.

The draw was announced on the same day all matches in the Western & Southern Open -- being played at the U.S. Open site because of the coronavirus pandemic -- were called off following Osaka's decision Wednesday to drop out of her semifinal in response to the shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake, by police in Wisconsin.

Osaka changed course Thursday, saying she would play when the Western & Southern Open resumes Friday because the tournament's pause helped call attention to the issues of racial injustice and police brutality.

The U.S. Open is scheduled to begin Monday, without any spectators.

Osaka, who won the 2018 U.S. Open and 2019 Australian Open, beat Gauff, then just 15, 6-3, 6-0 in the third round at Flushing Meadows a year ago.

As tears welled in Gauff's eyes at the end of the match, Osaka offered a hug and words of consolation, then told the teen to address the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd. It was one of the most indelible moments of last year's tournament.

''I have honestly not talked about it with her. It just feels like it was like a natural thing, and it's kind of in the past,'' Osaka said this week. ''For me, I don't really dwell on it, and I don't think she does, either. It's not in a negative way, but it's just, like -- for me, it's just really cool to see someone rising up like that, and that's just something that I did, like, genuinely in the moment.''

They met again at the Australian Open in January, with Gauff coming out on top.

If the No. 4-seeded Osaka or the unseeded Gauff reaches the quarterfinals, the opponent at that stage could be No. 6 Petra Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion.

Other potential women's quarterfinals: No. 1 seed Karolina Pliskova vs. No. 8 Petra Martic; No. 2 Sofia Kenin vs. No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka; and No. 3 Serena Williams vs. No. 7 Madison Keys.

Only two of the top eight women in the WTA rankings entered the hard-court tournament. Among those missing are No. 1-ranked Ash Barty and 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu.

The defending men's champion, Rafael Nadal, and 20-time Grand Slam title winner Roger Federer are also among those absent in New York this year.

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic did decide to play, though, and was drawn to face 107th-ranked Damir Dzhumhur in the first round.

The men's quarterfinals could be Djokovic vs. No. 7 seed David Goffin; No. 2 Dominic Thiem vs. No. 8 Roberto Bautista Agut; No. 3 Daniil Medvedev vs. No. 6 Matteo Berrettini; and No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. No. 5 Alexander Zverev.

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{blackbabes} Osaka resuming play at Western & Southern

 

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NEW YORK — Naomi Osaka will play in the Western & Southern Open semifinals, after all.

A day after saying she would withdraw from the hard-court event to protest the "continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police" — prompting the tournament to call off all of Thursday's matches — the two-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1-ranked player changed course.

Her agent confirmed that Osaka will face No. 14 Elise Mertens when play resumes at the tournament Friday with the semifinals. The finals were shifted from Friday to Saturday.

"As you know, I pulled out of the tournament yesterday in support of racial injustice and continued police violence. I was (and am) ready and prepared to concede the match to my opponent," Osaka said in a statement to the Guardian newspaper. "However, after my announcement and lengthy consultation with the WTA and USTA, I have agreed at their request to play on Friday. They offered to postpone all matches until Friday and in my mind that brings more attention to the movement. I want to thank the WTA and the Tournament for their support."

Osaka, whose father is from Haiti and mother is from Japan, joined professional athletes in basketball, baseball and soccer in demanding change Wednesday in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by police in Wisconsin.

Osaka tweeted Wednesday that, as a Black woman, "I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis. I don't expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing, but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport I consider that a step in the right direction. Watching the continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police is honestly making me sick to my stomach."

Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., will face No. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in the men's semifinals on Friday.

All NBA and WNBA games, three Major League Baseball games and five of six Major League Soccer games were called off Wednesday as athletes decried racial injustice.

The Western & Southern Open is usually held in Ohio but was moved to the New York site of the U.S. Open this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Open is scheduled to begin Monday.

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