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Post by Admin on Mar 19, 2018 18:54:34 GMT
Naomi Osaka reckoned her victory speech was far worse than her tennis after winning her first WTA event. Osaka routed Daria Kasatkina 6-3 6-2 to win Indian Wells event. The 20-year-old then embarked on what she expected to be quite a poor victory speech. After nervously hesitating in ticking off thank-yous, Osaka said: "This is probably going to be the worst acceptance speech of all time." She singled out Kasatkina. "I would like to thank Dasha for being super nice and also being a really cool person to play against," Osaka said. "I'm pretty sure we're going to play a lot of finals again." Osaka thanked her Haiti-born father and Japan-born mother, who weren't on hand. She moved to the US as a 3-year-old and holds dual citizenship. She lives and trains in South Florida.
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Post by Admin on Mar 21, 2018 19:20:29 GMT
WTA Insider: It seems like you're still soaking it all in. Osaka: Yeah, partially that. And partially it still doesn't feel that real. I feel like the tournament is still going. I don't know, maybe when I go on the plane maybe I'll realize what just happened. But right now I'm just walking around and doing stuff.
WTA Insider: You had not won a WTA or ITF title before today. So this is your first professional title. Does that add to the newness of the situation today? Osaka: Yeah, I've never won a title before so I'm really glad I was able to do it today. It does feel new, because I don't feel the sadness after losing (laughs).
WTA Insider: Do you remember the last title you won? Maybe on the juniors or a nationals tournament? Osaka: When I played the WTA Rising Stars Invitational, I don't know if that counts as a title. Maybe when I played a women's open or a Super Cs when I was 13. But other than that, I don't really remember.
WTA Insider: How pleased are you that you were able to win this title with the tough draw that you had? Osaka: I'm really happy about this. I feel like I've been here for a month. It feels like I've been here so long. I haven't done much outside of coming to site and training. Every match that I've played I've thought, just don't give up no matter what, because everyone I played was super tough. I feel like that's really helped me and my mentality of coming to the finals and eventually winning. So I'm really grateful for the experience.
WTA Insider: How huge were those first two matches against Maria Sharapova and Agnieszka Radwanska, getting them in straight sets against two different types of opponents, that had to be a boost to your confidence. Osaka: I didn't necessarily go way up. I was just glad that I had two different styles. I had a power player in the first round and a returner in the second round. So I think that prepared me for anything coming up. I think that really helped me. Going forward in the tournament and playing the next players, it was a good experience.
WTA Insider: Throughout the week, you've been using the word "consistent" a lot, with respect to your game. Your desire to be more consistent. What does that mean to you? Osaka: It means that I'm not giving away free points. I'm not going to slap a ball when it's not there. Just to have good matches throughout the entire year and not be as much of a rollercoaster.
WTA Insider: The power game has always been what grabbed people's attention when it came to your game. The shots were always there, but it seems like there's been an evolution to be a more consistent player. When did you make that intentional change to your game?
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Post by Admin on Mar 22, 2018 18:53:39 GMT
Naomi Osaka is riding the crest of a wave on the WTA Tour after her Indian Wells Masters triumph and victory over childhood idol Serena Williams Wednesday night in Miami. The 20-year-old has burst onto the wider scene in recent weeks with an impressive eight-match winning streak that included some high-profile scalps. Her straight-sets success over Williams was the icing on the cake, though, given the 23-time Grand Slam champion's standing in the game.
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Post by Admin on Mar 25, 2018 18:59:14 GMT
Osaka: I would say it started this year. In the off-season I was trying to get fit so I could play long rallies all of the time. So I think that really paid off. This year I just really try to respect every opponent I play because I know they're good players and I shouldn't get angry when I play them. I should just focus on what I'm doing and be happy that I get to play these events. WTA Insider: You said in your press conference that your goal in today's final was to sit back a little bit and see what Kasatkina was doing and then just respond. In a lot of ways you beat her at her own game. Osaka: I didn't really think about it like that. I'm happy that I was able to win it without trying to be aggressive, because for me when I'm trying to be aggressive there's a 50/50 chance the ball might fly. So I'm glad that happened. I'm just trying to pay more attention to my mental state more than the actual hitting of the ball now. WTA Insider: So what does this two-week title run in Indian Wells mean to you? Osaka: Well it says that I'm able to play a lot of matches and still have the concentration, which is the main thing I was focusing on. And also that there are a lot of good young players and we're climbing our way up the rankings.
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Post by Admin on Mar 28, 2018 19:11:33 GMT
Complaining about poor service, a perceived snub and general life disappointments is part of social media culture. And rarely does anyone get a satisfactory response. But Maria Sharapova's response to a disappointed fan is worth a look. 2018 Indian Wells First Round | Naomi Osaka vs Maria Sharapova | WTA Highlights WTA A fan voiced his displeasure with Sharapova on Twitter after she withdrew from the Miami Open last week with a forearm injury. The fan said he had purchased tickets for a friend to see Sharapova play. "I don't sign up for anything in my career unless I'm fully committed to it," she wrote. She went on to explain she felt numbness in her left arm 30 minutes before her first match at Indian Wells and then discovered there was an "air pocket" in her lung, which meant she couldn't fly. Sharapova lost her first match to Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-4 on March 7 at Indian Wells.
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