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Naomi Osaka beats Elise Mertens to reach Western and Southern Open final

Naomi Osaka reached the Western and Southern Open final with a straight-set victory over Elise Mertens.

The Japanese fourth seed defeated Belgium's Mertens 6-2 7-6 (7-5).

The semi-final was due to take place on Thursday but tournament organisers suspended play for a day in protest against racial inequality.

It came after Osaka had pulled out of the match, saying that "as a black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand".

The 2018 US Open champion then decided to play despite being ready to concede after a "lengthy" consultation with the WTA and USTA.