Source: WTA Tennis
MELBOURNE, Australia – One year ago, Naomi Osaka was ranked No.72 in the world and was still chasing her first WTA title. A year on, the 21-year-old US Open champion is one win away from becoming the first Japanese player to ever hold the World No.1 ranking and the first player since Jennifer Capriati to win the next Slam after her maiden major title.
“It’s a little bit unreal,” Osaka told reporters after her gritty 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win over No.8 Karolina Pliskova in the semifinals. “At the same time I realize the work that I put in during the off-season. Every match that I played, I tried my best. It just felt like it was a continuous effort.
“Yeah, I mean, I can’t believe it but at the same time it’s sort of the reality I am in right now, so I can only keep going forward from here.”
While her opponent on Saturday, No.6 Petra Kvitova has yet to drop a set in Melbourne, Osaka has had to battle through a series of tricky opponents. She was taken to three sets by Hsieh Su-Wei, Anastasia Sevastova, and Pliskova. In each match she was forced to steel herself against the doubts that used to plague her in tight moments.
“I think for me it’s experience,” Osaka said. “I’ve been in the third round. I was stuck there for two years. As soon as I could break away from that, now I’m here again, I think it’s just experience and a confidence issue for me it’s always felt like.
“I would love to say I’m that good, but literally I’m playing the best players in the world, and I’ve been playing three sets most of the time. It’s more like a battle of will at this point.”
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