Australian Open: Osaka raises recreation, ends error-prone Serena’s document bid

Then there have been tears. A distinguished subject of dialogue in Serena Williams’ post-match press convention was the essential unforced errors she dedicated throughout her straight-sets loss to Naomi Osaka. It’s not that the veteran 39-year-old hasn’t confronted robust losses earlier than, nor the questions that comply with such matches, in Grand Slams or on the WTA Tour. But what maybe harm extra about this 6-3, 6-4 loss within the Australian Open semi-final is that it prolongs her seek for an all-time document equalling twenty fourth Grand Slam title.
“I don’t know,” she stated, tearing up, including “I’m done,” after which exited the convention.

After her semifinal loss to Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams leaves the pressroom in tears.#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/g95Fva006O
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) February 18, 2021
As the event progressed and her performances began to enhance, echoes had began to develop that this may be the occasion the place the tenth seed would win that elusive twenty fourth Slam. In a approach, it appeared prefer it was all the time meant to occur in Australia. For it was right here, on the Rod Laver Arena in 2017 when she broke Steffi Graf’s Open Era tally of twenty-two main wins.
At the identical time although, on the opposite aspect of the online she was developing in opposition to a sure third seed Naomi Osaka. The 23-year-old, usually dubbed the ‘Next Serena,’ is a power-hitter who modelled her recreation on her idol. She’s already a three-time Grand Slam champion in her personal proper (beating Williams within the ultimate of the US Open in 2018 for her first title), and together with Simona Halep, is arguably probably the most constant girls’s singles participant on the Grand Slam stage previously 5 years.
And coming into the semi-final on Thursday morning, she had been in equally devastating kind. She additionally had an incredible document going for her – on the three events she’s reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal, she’s gone on to win it.
But within the semi-final, it wouldn’t simply come right down to Williams’ unforced errors that determined the match.

🚨 OSAKA ADVANCES 🚨
She takes down Serena Williams in straight units to advance to the finals on the #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/IJ9Xjh7w0l
— ESPN (@espn) February 18, 2021
Osaka’s wavering serve
The younger Japanese struggled to register many first serves within the first set. In all, she’d handle simply 12 from 33 makes an attempt at an unenviable fee of 33 %. It was a harmful day to falter on the primary serve, particularly since Williams, in her earlier match in opposition to Halep, had demolished the Romanian’s second serve.
The American continued that development, breaking Osaka within the opening recreation of the match.
There was a slight enchancment within the stats within the second set, 15 from 27 first serves in (56 %). But within the eight recreation of the second set, Osaka, who had been main within the set until then, dropped serve.
Serving up at 4-3, in a recreation that lasted six factors, Osaka managed to get in only one first serve, and conceded three factors by a double fault – together with the break level for Williams.
Her efficiency took an upswing when it mattered although. She obtained in all 4 first serves when she served for the match – profitable it with out dropping a degree.

Here’s Naomi Osaka’s legendarily trustworthy reply on how she is aware of the place Serena Williams’ serve goes 🤣 #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/y60IS2nzYc
— Billy Heyen (@BillyHeyen) February 18, 2021
The groundstroke battle
Former males’s World No 21 Taylor Dent had as soon as in commentary said: “First serves are to close points. Second serves are to start points.”
With Osaka’s first serves going out and in, she wanted to depend on her groundstrokes to bail her out. And the standard of her photographs did simply that.
Osaka powered again photographs Williams would cannon at her, typically with curiosity. On a couple of event she would strike a backhand cross courtroom winner at an inconceivable angle leaving 2011 US Open champion Samantha Stosur asking in commentary: “How did she do that?”
One of these photographs got here when Osaka broke Williams to go up 5-4 within the second set.
In all, Osaka would strike 20 winners to 21 unforced errors.
Meanwhile Williams had 24 unforced errors to only 12 winners – she had no forehand winners within the first set.
“The difference today was errors,” Williams stated after the match. “I made so many errors today. Honestly, it was opportunities where I could have won. I could have been up 5-love. I just made so many errors.”

“For today I felt like I needed some extra strength, so yeah. That’s kind of why I’m wearing this.”@naomiosaka x @Lakers 💪#AusOpen | #AO2021 | #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/9hEkE5DXWu
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 18, 2021
Anticipating Williams’ serve
Despite proudly owning a giant serve, Williams managed simply three aces – a credit score to Osaka’s anticipation.
Jim Courier even requested Osaka about it after the match.
“I was just guessing,” got here the reply. “It’s either going this way or that way, I just have to put my foot somewhere.”
A secret it might stay, as to how Osaka was prepared to maneuver in the proper course each time Williams served. But then once more, she’s grown up watching her idol, and claims she likes to look at Williams play every time doable. Subconsciously maybe, she simply knew the place to be, and easy methods to make the return that the American would wrestle to discover a reply for.