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Post by Admin on Oct 5, 2019 17:43:13 GMT
A blockbuster quarterfinal at the China Open found former World No.1 Naomi Osaka coming back from a set and a break down in both second and third sets to end US Open champion Bianca Andreescu's winning streak.
In a much-anticipated and riveting first clash between the two most recent US Open champions, No.4 seed Naomi Osaka fought back from a set and a break down in both second and third sets to take the honors 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 over No.5 seed Bianca Andreescu in two hours and 14 minutes to reach the China Open semifinals.
"It meant a lot because I feel like people counted me out after the Europe thing," Osaka said afterwards, referring to her clay and grass swings in which she did not reach a final. "I'm just like, I still won a slam this year, I won [Osaka]. I'm still here. But there's a sort of beauty to be underrated."
The result ends Andreescu's winning streak, dating back to the fourth round of Miami in March, at 17 - but extends Toray Pan Pacific Open champion Osaka's own to eight in this year's Asian swing. The Japanese No.1, who struck 31 winners to 30 unforced errors and 10 aces, has also dealt out Andreescu's first defeat at the hands of a Top 10 opponent in nine matches.
"I forgot how it feels [to lose]," said Andreescu. "Honestly, it sucks. I didn't miss it at all. But at least I didn't get whooped 1 and 1. I put on a fight. Honestly, it could have went either way. It was just some points here and there. At the same time I am pissed, but at the same time I'm proud of myself with how I played today. I really fought, especially in that last game. Holy crap, that was crazy."
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Post by Admin on Oct 5, 2019 18:10:00 GMT
Those differences extended to their game styles, too. Initially, the Canadian's competitive edge was fully on display as she probed relentlessly at the Osaka serve. Despite the Japanese No.1 winning 78% of her first serves today, Andreescu's relentlessly aggressive approach to returning the second serve limited her to only 31% of those points and meant that holding, even with a lead, was rarely straightforward: Osaka was broken from 40-0 up in the first game, 40-30 up in the fifth, and 30-0 up in the penultimate game of the set.
Andreescu, meanwhile, was also deploying her full repertoire off the ground, breaking up the rhythm of rallies with biting slices before injecting sudden pace to take control. Forced by the 19-year-old's supreme anticipation into going for the lines, Osaka lapsed repeatedly into error and quickly fell behind 5-1.
"I feel like in the beginning we were just coping each other out," mused Osaka. "I could not find the mental line of not being nervous and also being fired up. That was a bit of a struggle. She was probably thinking,, Wow, what is she doing?... Wow, she won two Grand Slams like that?"
Andreescu seemingly having an answer to everything Osaka threw at her was also an issue. "Of course I've watched her play on TV, but it's so different from actually playing against her," said the Australian Open champion. "I know that she is incredibly smart. She knows when the rally isn't working out for her, when to change it up and make it difficult for the other person. So just to experience that in person was very frustrating.
"But also I think for me, my game plan going in was to just be the more aggressive player. I can't be the defensive one. Just trust myself, trust my serve, be aggressively consistent until I have the shot."
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Post by Admin on Oct 6, 2019 18:22:30 GMT
A surging Naomi Osaka found further redemption for a string of disappointing performances over the summer with her second consecutive title in Asia at the China Open on Sunday.
Osaka bounced back from a set down to top-seeded Ash Barty, cruising through the final two sets to defeat the top-seeded Australian 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 and accomplish her goal of returning to winning form on the tour's Asian leg.
Osaka's win follows the two-time Grand Slam winner's victory last month at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in her birthplace of Osaka, Japan, her first singles title since the Australian Open in January.
"Honestly, all I was thinking about was how much I wanted to win so that made me very emotional," Osaka said after the match. "In the second set I just tried to rationalize everything and then in the third set just continue what I was doing."
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Post by Admin on Oct 9, 2019 18:54:47 GMT
It just feels like I accomplished what I set out to do." Osaka also spoke about her father coaching her several times in mid matches last week. "He's annoyed me so much that it just makes me angry, and I use the anger as a fuel to win," she joked.  "The thing with my dad is, like, he keeps it very simple. He knows my personality because, like, he's my dad. Most of the time he doesn't even really say anything. He just waits for me to figure it out. After, we sort of talk about it. He's not a very dominating presence. Like, this is the first time he watched my matches in a couple years, like in the box. He's always there, you know. But I don't think he can handle it. Like, not even just saying this, but he doesn't like watching my matches. I think it stresses him out because he, like, twitches every time I hit a ball. So, yeah, I feel like after US Open I asked him, Can you please come with me to Asia? He said he'll take the role very seriously, but I don't think it's a long-term thing." On the expectations around her, Osaka concluded: "I still felt like the underdog. Results-wise she's had a way better 2019 I think. She's ranked higher than me. People look at that going into it. Not necessarily current form or whatever. I think you would have to really be into tennis to look at that. Conditions-wise, for me it's not really a secret, I love the heat. I was kind of sad when it started becoming colder. Yeah, I'm not really too much of an analyst so I can't say if the colder conditions helped my game. Is it supposed to make the ball travel faster? Yeah, I don't know either." |
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