Naomi Osaka vs. Shelby Rogers – US Open, September 8, 2020

Many expected to see Naomi Osaka in the last 8 of the 2020 US Open, but I don’t think anyone thought that Shelby Rogers would be her opponent. The relatively unknown American has never been part of the tennis elite, but she’s having the tournament of her life.

The 27-year old already eliminated two seeded opponents, so Osaka certainly should be careful. This match might not be as one-sided as the rankings of both players suggest.

I share my thoughts for the clash and the chances of each athlete in this Naomi Osaka vs. Shelby Rogers betting preview. The post also features the latest odds, my prediction, and a free betting pick.

The Naomi Osaka vs. Shelby Rogers odds in this post are courtesy of BetOnline, one of the top betting sites for tennis. The sportsbook covers the US Open 2020 extensively and you can enjoy high odds. As you can see, BetOnline views Naomi Osaka as the big favorite in this one.

The meteoric rise of Naomi Osaka started in New York two years ago. She was a promising youngster that blossomed into a star by winning the 2018 US Open.

Another huge victory followed in the 2019 Australian Open and we thought that Osaka would succeed Serena Williams as the dominant figure in female tennis.

That’s when Osaka changed her coach and faced some off-court problems that slowed her down significantly. The Japanese prodigy failed to reach the last 8 of the next couple of Grand Slam tournaments, but she is back now.

The 2020 US Open start was slow and Osaka lost sets in the first and the third round, but she looked really strong in her last match against Anett Kontaveit. Her first serve was working well and when that happens, the youngster is really hard to stop.

She enters the upcoming clash as a huge favorite and I’m sure that Osaka will be full of confidence.

Ever since Serena Williams gave birth, female tennis has been hectic. We’ve seen plenty of surprises in Grand Slams to the point that shocking results are the norm. And yet, most of the players that upset the odds are usually at the start of their careers.

That’s not the case with Shelby Rogers. The 27-year old has been part of the elite and a lone quarterfinal in the 2016 French Open is the pinnacle of her career. She didn’t even qualify for the 2019 US Open and no one expected a deep run this year.

Rogers should’ve been gone after facing Elena Rybakina in round two and she was a massive underdog against Petra Kvitova in the round of 16 as well. The American showed stunning resilience and certainly deserves her spot in the Last 8 of the 2020 US Open.

She has nothing to lose which makes her extremely dangerous. All the pressure will be on Osaka and I’m sure that Rogers loves that.

I don’t think that the upcoming match will be that easy for Osaka. Her opponent should be relaxed and this is the best moment of her career. On top of that, Rogers won all three matches against Osaka so far. They were all before 2017, but the stats should certainly provide another source of hope for the American.

I still expect a win for the favorite, but Rogers should be able to put up a fight. That’s why the price of -111 for this clash to go over 20 games looks like the top betting pick. The wager could be successful even if the match is closed after two sets and it certainly will win if it goes the distance.