World No. 3 Naomi Osaka defeated one of the greatest players in the modern era, Serena Williams, in the semifinal of the Australian Open 2021. The match ended in 75 minutes, with the Japanese star winning, 6-3 6-4. With that win, Osaka will face another American player, Jennifer Brady, on Saturday.
During the match, Osaka served six aces. She won 85% of her first-serve points, which proved decisive in the end. The 23-year-old won all the breakpoints she received and put twenty winners past her opponent. Overall, the three-time Grand Slam winner played a clinical match, which helped her book a place in the final.
Naomi Osaka: “Not even close to becoming a legend”
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After the match, Bleacher Report posted a picture of Osaka and Williams hugging at the end of the match. The picture was posted along with a caption that stated, “All love between two legends.” Osaka came across that post and replied to it and said, “Lol so I’m not even close to being a legend yet but I’ll try my best.”
Lol so I’m not even close to being a legend yet but I’ll try my best 🙏🏾 https://t.co/7c2rp5aUyQ
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) February 18, 2021
The 2019 Australian Open champion is a humble person, and it’s this attitude of hers that has helped her become the player that she is today.
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Naomi Osaka won Grand Slam titles at the US Open in 2018 and 2020. In 2019, she won the Australian Open for the first time. Interestingly, when she won the US Open in 2018, she went on to win the Australian Open in the following year. In 2020, she won in New York for the second time, and she might repeat that feat again on Saturday.
During the tournament, Naomi has beat players such as Ons Jabeur and Caroline Garcia. She even beat two-time Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza after saving match points.
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After registering a semifinal victory over Serena Williams today, the Japanese superstar will emerge as the favorite to lift the Australian Open 2021.