Advertisements
Sunday, February 17, 2019
No Result
View All Result
Middle East Affairs
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinions
  • In Depth
  • Arab World
  • Palestinian & Israeli Affairs
  • Business
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Other
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinions
  • In Depth
  • Arab World
  • Palestinian & Israeli Affairs
  • Business
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Other
No Result
View All Result
Middle East Affairs
No Result
View All Result

Osaka storms past Keys to reach first Grand Slam final

moutasem quffa by moutasem quffa
September 7, 2018
in Sports, Tennis
0
Sep 6, 2018; New York, NY, USA; Naomi Osaka of Japan serves against Madison Keys of the United States (not pictured) in a women's semi-final match on day eleven of the 2018 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Sep 6, 2018; New York, NY, USA; Naomi Osaka of Japan serves against Madison Keys of the United States (not pictured) in a women's semi-final match on day eleven of the 2018 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Naomi Osaka announced her arrival on the big stage at the U.S. Open on Thursday, beating last year’s runner-up Madison Keys 6-2 6-4 to reach her first Grand Slam final and set up a clash with her childhood idol Serena Williams.

Sept 6 2018; New York, NY, USA; Naomi Osaka of Japan hits to Madison Keys of the USA in a women’s semi-final match on day eleven of the 2018 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Sept 6 2018; New York, NY, USA; Naomi Osaka of Japan celebrates after recording match point against Madison Keys of the USA in a women’s semi-final match on day eleven of the 2018 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Sept 6 2018; New York, NY, USA; Madison Keys of the USA reacts after losing a point in the 2nd set to Naomi Osaka of Japan in a women’s semi-final match on day eleven of the 2018 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Sept 6 2018; New York, NY, USA; Naomi Osaka of Japan serves to Madison Keys of the USA in a women’s semi-final match on day eleven of the 2018 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 6, 2018; New York, NY, USA; Madison Keys of the United States faces Naomi Osaka of Japan in a women’s semi-final match on day eleven of the 2018 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY SPORTS

The 20-year-old Osaka, who is the first Japanese woman to reach a singles final of a Grand Slam, had to fight harder than the score suggested to get past 14th seed Keys, who paid the price for a lack of killer instinct.

The American carved out 13 break point opportunities, but Osaka saved all of them and was far more clinical herself, converting three of the four chances that came her way.

“This is going to sound really bad, but I was just thinking I really want to play Serena,” Osaka said in an on-court interview. “I love you (Serena). I love everybody.

“It feels a little bit surreal,” she added to reporters. “Even when I was a little kid, I always dreamed that I would play Serena in a final of a Grand Slam.

“At the same time I feel like even though I should enjoy this moment, I should still think of it as another match. I shouldn’t really think of her as my idol. I should just try to play her as an opponent.”

Osaka won her first career title at Indian Wells this year but had never beaten Keys before in three attempts and lost to the American at Flushing Meadows in 2016.

“It still feels really weird because I’ve never beaten Madison before,” Osaka said. “She’s a really good player… I thought I was visibly shaking and stuff (from nervousness).”

The nerves surfaced when the Japanese found herself trailing 0-40 in her second service game, but she managed to keep it together, battling back to deuce and saving another break point to hold and level the opener at 2-2.

ROLE REVERSAL

The roles were reversed in the next game.

Osaka carved out two break points and although Keys saved the first one, she forced an error on the American’s forehand to take a 3-2 lead.

The Japanese saved two more break points in her next service game and then it was Keys’s turn to get rattled.

The American made three unforced errors as she lost her serve to love. Osaka found herself serving for the set and she closed it out in 37 minutes.

“I felt like if I could break, maybe I could get back into it,” Keys said. “Every time I had a break point, it was an ace or a winner or something like that (from Osaka).

“You keep fighting… then for her to come up with some of those shots, it was difficult … You think, okay, she’s going to let up eventually, but she didn’t, so all credit to her.”

Keys emerged for the second set with an air of determination but she surrendered her serve in the first game with her 21st unforced error of the match.

That was the tipping point and Osaka wrapped up the win in one hour, 26 minutes with a service winner, breaking into a smile as the ball flew off the frame of Keys’ racquet and into the crowd. NEW YORK (Reuters)

Advertisements

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...
Previous Post

As lira tumbles, Turkey requires exporters to convert revenue to lira

Next Post

Williams crushes Sevastova to reach U.S. Open final

Next Post
Sep 6, 2018; New York, NY, USA; Serena Williams of the United States hits a forehand against Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia (R) in a women's semi-final match on day eleven of the 2018 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Williams crushes Sevastova to reach U.S. Open final

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

No Result
View All Result

RECENT NEWS

An autonomous truck readies to pick up a load of iron ore at Australia's Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) Chichester Hub, which includes the Christmas Creek iron ore mine, in the Pilbara region, located southeast of the coastal town of Port Hedland in Western Australia, November 29, 2018.  REUTERS/Melanie Burton

Australian miner Fortescue says two driverless trucks involved in low-speed incident

February 15, 2019
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan meets with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani in Sochi, Russia, February 14, 2019. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS

Kremlin, after summit, says no offensive planned in Syria’s Idlib

February 14, 2019
FILE PHOTO: The headquarters of Central Bank is seen in downtown Cairo, Egypt December 27, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Egypt central bank cuts overnight lending, deposit rates – statement

February 14, 2019

FOLLOW US

Facebook Twitter Instagram




  • Home
  • News
  • Opinions
  • In Depth
  • Arab World
  • Palestinian & Israeli Affairs
  • Business
  • Sports

© 2018 Middle East Affairs. Our email address is info@middleeataffairs.net

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinions
  • In Depth
  • Arab World
  • Palestinian & Israeli Affairs
  • Business
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Other

© 2018 Middle East Affairs. Our email address is info@middleeataffairs.net

%d bloggers like this: