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Osaka Defeats Sabalenka To Reach US Open Quarterfinals

Sep 4th 2018

Although it wasn’t high quality or drama, it most certainly was high stakes. Two, twenty-year-old women took the court in Louis Armstrong Stadium for their first meeting with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line.

Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus won her first title on the WTA tour last month at the Connecticut Open. In the final, she defeated former world #6 Carla Suarez Navarro and achieved a career-high ranking of #20. She was considered a contender for the title at Flushing Meadows based on her strong results during the summer hardcourt season.

Naomi Osaka from Japan has also had a breakthrough season. She won her first WTA title this past spring at the Premier Mandatory event in Indian Wells, where she defeated Karolina Pliskova, Simona Halep and in the final, Daria Kasatkina in straight sets. She achieved a career-high ranking of #17 this past July and is currently ranked #19.

Naomi Osaka

While most fans expected a high-octane slug-fest, the mood amongst the players and in the stands could be aptly described as sedate. Without ever glancing at the statistics throughout the match, it was easy to discern that both hit more errors than winners and probably more double faults than aces. It was a curious match that at times, left me perplexed, amazed but for the most part, disappointed. The match, unfortunately, did not live up to the hype.

Sabalenka served first and opened with an ace. She held to 15 when Osaka’s cross-court backhand landed wide. Osaka also held to 15 in her opening service game. Sabalenka held for 2-1 when Osaka’s forehand found the net.

Serving at 1-2, Osaka came under pressure as her first serve percentage continued to drop. She donated a double fault to go down 30-30. Following two unforced errors off the ground on consecutive points, Osaka faced break point.

She was let off the hook when Sabalenka failed to tee-off on a 77mph second serve. Osaka managed to hold when Sabalenka netted a backhand.

Perhaps rattled by her inability to break last game, Sabalenka faced triple break point following incredible ball striking by Osaka. Despite hitting an ace to reach 30-40, Sabalenka dropped serve when she double-faulted.

Osaka consolidated the break with two consecutive aces and a 117 mph first serve on game point that Sabalenka shanked.

Sabalenka held for 3-4 despite hitting just one first serve which was an ace. Osaka was under pressure in her next service game when she double-faulted but held for 5-3 with an ace on game point.

Aryna Sabalenak

Sabalenka served to stay in the first set but was unable to hold as Osaka quickly reached triple set point following two extraordinary backhands down the line on consecutive points and broke when Sabalenka netted a backhand. She took the first set 6-3 in just thirty-one minutes.

Osaka served first in the second and held at love. At this point, it appeared she had carried the momentum from the first set while her opponent was still somewhat disillusioned by her inability to capitalize on those weak second serves.

Sabalenka, to the crowd’s amazement, had woken up; she too held at love in her first service game of the second set. Despite the windy conditions on Louis Armstrong stadium, Sabalenka continued to unload on the forehand, frequently finding both lines for winners.

Osaka, serving at 1-1 in the second, struck a backhand on the baseline that Sabalenka thought was long. She challenged the call, but it stood; the ball had landed on the baseline and the point was awarded to Osaka. Just when you thought things could not get any worse for the young Belarusian, she broke serve following four deuces and two break points.

Sabalenka consolidated the break to take the lead 3-1. Osaka was broken in her next service game as the unforced errors off both sides continued to multiply. Despite donating another double fault, Sabalenka closed out the game with a huge serve down the middle to extend her lead to 5-1.  

Osaka, serving to stay in the second set, faced double set point when Sabalenka struck two winners off the ground on consecutive points. Despite four deuces and a couple of 80mph second serves, Osaka dug deep and held for 2-5. It was not a cake walk but Sabalenka closed out the second set 6-2 with an ace.

Naomi Osaka

Sabalenka and Osaka never seemed to play well at the same time. It was impossible to predict who would move on to the quarterfinals. The mountain of unforced errors and double faults from both seemed to overshadow the exceptional groundstrokes and volleys that were executed.

Osaka served first in the deciding set and held to 15. Although she threw in another double fault, Sabalenka held to 15 with a brilliant forehand down the line winner.

Serving at 1-1, Osaka netted a couple of forehands and faced double break point. Sabalenka knew that this was the moment and took the offensive by charging the net, hitting an astonishing cross-court backhand volley winner to break.

The tide apparently had turned but not for long; Sabalenka could not consolidate the break and dropped serve when she committed three unforced errors off the ground in addition to another double fault.

Level at 2-2, Osaka held to 15 with an ace for 3-2. Sabalenka opened her next service game with a double fault and soon faced triple break point following another double fault.

The crowd, clearly cheering for Osaka, deemed this was the moment the match would be secured. Sabalenka, however, was not ready to yield. She saved three break points with heavy hitting off the ground and leveled at 3-3.

In their next service games, Osaka held to 15 and Sabalenka to 30. Now level at 4-4, Osaka served two consecutive aces to hold at love for 5-4 and was four points from the quarterfinals.

Sabalenka battled until the end but her serve which had betrayed her throughout the match, now sealed her fate. Although she fought off double break point and two deuces, she double-faulted to lose the match and threw her racquet in disgust as she approached the net. Her stats were littered with errors: 8 double faults and 42 unforced errors to 28 winners and 4 aces.

Osaka’s were marginally better: 9 aces, 3 double faults, 32 unforced errors to 22 winners. She will have to play a much cleaner match against her next opponent, Lesia Tsurenko, if she hopes to reach her first grand slam semifinal.