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US Open Highlights: Osaka taking on Gauff in titanic clash, Sinner faces awkward test

Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka after their US Open 2019 duel.
Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka after their US Open 2019 duel.MediaPunch / Backgrid / Backgrid USA / Profimedia
The US Open is now in its 145th edition, and each day of the last Grand Slam of the season throws up unique stories and duels. The Flashscore editorial team has picked out three of the most interesting matches on Sunday's schedule.

Naomi Osaka - Coco Gauff

19:30 CET, Arthur Ashe Stadium

It's a dream to see these two exceptional tennis players and personalities meet. Perhaps the US would like to see this duel take place in the final, but that may come another time.

Right now, it's just a matter of getting into the last eight. When they first met at the US Open six years ago, Coco Gauff was the youngest tennis player in the tournament at 15. She was beaten comfortably by Naomi Osaka in the third round and cried on court. But it was Osaka who gave her comfort.

"It was a difficult moment for me; there was a lot of attention on it. And I guess I expected too much of myself at the time," Gauff recalled of the emotional moments when she ended up in tears. 

Osaka hopes the audience won't just side with Coco: "I hope somebody will cheer for me too because I know how hard it is to play against an American here," laughed the California-based Japanese. 

"I hope they've gotten to know me a little bit in the US, too. I still see Coco as my little sister," she added.

Lorenzo Musetti - Jaume Munar

20:30 CET, Louis Armstrong Stadium

Jaume Munar is undoubtedly one of the biggest surprises at this year's New York Grand Slam. He's trying to adapt his tennis to hard courts, and he's doing it wonderfully.

At 28 years old, he is turning from a clay court player into a man who enjoys the concrete. He has already registered 15 match wins on it this year and has a good chance of reaching the quarter-finals.

The Barcelona native faces Lorenzo Musetti. The elegant Italian is in the second week of the US Open for the first time in his career and is happy to have overcome the crisis of the summer months. After a fantastic clay spring, he burnt out at Wimbledon, and even his preparation for New York was not convincing.

But now he is exuding confidence and positive energy. He gave David Goffin a thrashing in the second round. In his duel with Flavio Cobolli, he saved his strength as his countryman had to retire due to injury.

Alexander Bublik - Jannik Sinner

01:00 CET, Arthur Ashe Stadium

Can anyone stop the ice-cool assassin Jannik Sinner on his way to a title defence? He comes up against the erratic Alexander Bublik, who has never taken tennis entirely seriously.

However, the Kazakh showman is in thunderous form in New York this year. He made it through to the last 16 without losing a single service game, while taking all 12 break points so far.

Sinner knows he's not going to have an easy time of it, and he also surely remembers the last clash on grass in Halle this year, where Bublik beat him in three sets on his way to winning the title.

The enigma from Kazakhstan is on an 11-match winning streak, and has lost only two of his last 22.

Chances are you’re about to lose.

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