Fourth seed Naomi Osaka defeated Shelby Rogers in straight sets to reach the US Open semi-finals on Tuesday and declared it “revenge” for earlier defeats, reported AFP.

The Japanese 2018 US Open champion brushed aside the 27-year-old American 6-3, 6-4, in 1 hour 20 minutes inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

22-year-old Osaka will face 28th-seeded American Jennifer Brady on Thursday for a place in the final.

The world number 9 Osaka said she was apprehensive about playing the 93rd-ranked Rogers because she had failed to beat her in three previous outings.

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“Honestly, I just felt like she had the upper hand because I’ve never beaten her. And those memories are stuck in my head so I consider this a little bit of revenge,” she added.

She said in 2017 on clay in Charleston, Rogers defeated her and that had left “a really bad aftertaste in my mouth.” “I’m really glad I was able to have a much better positive attitude today,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Brady, 25, earlier ousted 23rd seed Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 6-3, 6-2.

Supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, Osaka, of Haitian and Japanese heritage, walked onto the court wearing a facemask emblazoned with the name of George Floyd, the unarmed black man whose death in police custody in May. 

Throughout the tournament, the 2019 Australian Open champion has been seen wearing different masks honoring victims of racial injustice and police brutality. She has already donned face coverings bearing the names of Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Ahmaud Arbery and Trayvon Martin.