ELENA RYBAKINA overpowered Naomi Osaka at the US Open and is a win away from securing the number one ranking in women’s tennis.

She just has to beat Zheng Qinwen tomorrow, which won’t be easy. Even when Zheng goes down, she refuses to stay there.

Rybakina advanced to the quarter-finals Monday with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Osaka in a matchup of power-hitting Grand Slam champions. The number two-seeded Rybakina is guaranteed to replace Aryna Sabalenka atop the WTA rankings if she reaches the semi-finals in Flushing Meadows.

“Of course I want it, I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t wish this, but definitely that’s one of my goals,” Rybakina said. “I try to approach the same way, try to do everything I can, fight until the end my next match and let’s see what’s going to happen.”

Trying to stop her will be Zheng, who made a daring escape from a 5-0 deficit for the second straight match. The 2024 Olympic gold medallist from China beat number eight seed Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-3 to become the first qualifier to reach the final eight in Flushing Meadows since Emma Raducanu won the title in 2021.

Two days after she was down 5-0 in the third set before winning the final seven games to stun number 22 Madison Keys 1-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5, Zheng quickly dropped the first five games against Swiatek, the 2022 US Open champion.

“I guess to come back 0-5 yesterday is not lucky, that’s all I can say,” Zheng said.

Rybakina won the Australian Open this year for her second major title and her number two ranking is her career best. Even if she loses tomorrow, she can still get to number one if neither Sabalenka, Coco Gauff or Jessica Pegula wins the title.

Rybakina was too good for Osaka, who won two of her four Grand Slam titles at the US Open but appeared to be struggling with a foot or ankle problem. The match lasted just one hour and six minutes, with Rybakina closing it out with an ace. She leads the WTA Tour in that category.

Andreeva provides an assist on her way to quarter-final

Coco Gauff beat number 14 Iva Jovic 6-1, 6-4 to return to the US Open quarter-finals for the first time since winning her first major title at the tournament in 2023. She lost in the fourth round in each of the last two years.

The number four seed will face French Open champion Mirra Andreeva tomorrow, the number five seed who came back to beat Anastasia Potapova 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, after helping her opponent when she injured her knee in the final game of the match.