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Post by Admin on Mar 12, 2018 19:20:59 GMT
Naomi Osaka's first-round upset of Maria Sharapova in the BNP Paribas Open was one of the most memorable moments of this young tennis season. But in preparing for her second-round match against No. 31 seed Agnieszka Radwanska on Friday, Osaka tried to forget her victory over Sharapova had ever happened. "Going into the next match, I really want to win but at the same time I don't want to go into the match too nervous and thinking about too much the match that I played before," she said. "So I just try to think that I didn't play my last match and just focus on the match that I played today." Her strategy worked. Winning 83% of points on her first serve and piling up four service breaks, she earned a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Radwanska at Stadium 6 in front of a big crowd that loved her aggressive game and her charming personality. "I'm really grateful that people were cheering for me again," said Osaka, who has a Haitian father and Japanese mother, grew up on Long Island, and trains in Florida. "Playing against people that you see on TV and stuff, it's always really fun." Her next opponent will be American qualifier Sachia Vickery, who rallied to defeat No. 3 Garbine Muguruza of Spain, a two-time Grand Slam champion, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1.
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Post by Admin on Mar 13, 2018 19:13:54 GMT
2018 Indian Wells Third Round | Sachia Vickery vs. Naomi Osaka | WTA Highlights WTA
Naomi Osaka is winning matches like an experienced veteran at the ripe old age of 20. The latest example of her early maturity came on Wednesday night, at the BNP Paribas Open, when she ousted former No. 1 Maria Sharapova, 6-4, 6-4.
"I didn't think it was a complete loss when I saw the draw. Of course I was really excited," Osaka said. "I thought that I've played more matches that her this year so I feel like I had that advantage."
Only three ranking points separate the No. 44-ranked Osaka and No. 41-ranked Sharapova, but there's also a 10-year age gap and the difference of five Grand Slam titles.
“I knew she was going to fight for everything because I’ve watched her since I was little,” said the 20-year-old Osaka, who reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time at this year's Australian Open. “I was just really honored I got the chance to play her and I really wanted to have fun. Even though I banged my racquet I tried to just focus.”
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Post by Admin on Mar 14, 2018 19:10:41 GMT
Osaka reached the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open with a 6-1, 5-7, 6-1 victory over Maria Sakkari of Greece on Tuesday, another solid performance in a string that began with victories over Maria Sharapova, Agnieszka Radwanska and Sachia Vickery. Naomi Osaka is enjoying an excellent run at Indian Wells. She unseated Maria Sharapova in her very first match, then cleared out the trickiest veteran Aga Radwanska and two more foes to earn a spot across from fifth-seeded Katerina Pliskova in the quarterfinal. The No. 44, 20-year-old Osaka appears to be growing into her aggressive, entertaining brand of tennis. In Tuesday’s presser she explained that she’s always played well in heat and that she finds it easiest to focus when playing against stars like Sharapova.
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Post by Admin on Mar 15, 2018 18:52:03 GMT
Earlier in her unexpected charge to the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open, Naomi Osaka said she wasn't content to merely tie records set by those who went before her and that she wanted to establish her own firsts. She accomplished that on Wednesday with a 6-2, 6-3 upset of No. 5 seed Karolina Pliskova, becoming the first Japanese woman to reach this stage of what's known as a premier mandatory tournament.
Osaka, 20, is the daughter of a Japanese mother and Haitian father. She represents Japan but spent part of her childhood on New York's Long Island. She's smart and funny and photogenic — her long, wavy hair fans out in ways that photographers love — and she has an impressive arsenal that's complemented by an analytic mind.
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Post by Admin on Mar 17, 2018 19:12:38 GMT
Naomi Osaka and Daria Kasatkina will go head to head for the BNP Paribas Open title after stunning Simona Halep and Venus Williams respectively in the semi-finals at Indian Wells on Friday. Unseeded Osaka came into the clash as the lowest ranked Indian Wells semi-finalist since Kim Clijsters in 2005, but overcame world No 1 Halep 6-3 6-0, winning nine straight games from 3-3 in the first set to dump the top seed out of the competition. Having stormed to the brink of victory, Osaka was made to work hard in a final game which included six deuces before she got over the line on her third match-point.
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