NEW YORK: Defending champion Naomi Osaka consoled a tearful Coco Gauff after a crushing US Open victory on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) in a showdown billed as “the future of women’s tennis” while Rafael Nadal cruised into the last 16.

World number one Osaka overpowered 15-year-old Gauff 6-3, 6-0 in 65 minutes to keep her title defense on track before sharing a warm embrace with an opponent overwhelmed by the occasion in the New York spotlight.