US Open: Osaka and Azarenka in the final



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Naomi osaka and Victoria Azarenka contest the final of the US Open 2020. Both had to overcome three sets in the semifinals: Osaka against Jennifer brady, Azarenka against Serena Williams.

by SID

Last edit: September 11, 2020 6:29 am

Serena Williams has to wait, Victoria Azarenka lets herself dream

© Getty Images

Serena Williams has to wait, Victoria Azarenka lets herself dream

Serena Williams again failed in her quest for the 24th Grand Slam title. In the US Open semifinals, the 38-year-old American lost 6: 1, 3: 6, 3: 6 after a strong first set to two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka. Williams had won her last title to date at one of the four major tournaments at the 2017 Australian Open. Now she lost Australia’s Margaret Court’s record for the ninth consecutive Grand Slam.

Azarenka, for her part, is behind her fifth victory in Duel 23 with Williams for the third time after 2012 and 2013 in the US Open final. There she will meet Naomi Osaka from Japan on Saturday (10pm CEST / Eurosport). The winner of the US Open in 2018 and the Australian Open in 2019 had won her semi-finals 7: 6 (7: 1), 3: 6, 6: 3 against Angelique Kerber’s conqueror Jennifer Brady (USA). ).

“I am very grateful for this opportunity,” Azarenka said after the match. In the duel between the mothers, the non-seeded Belarusian, winner of the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013, initially did not have her nerves under control. Williams dominated the game. “She dug a deep hole for me,” Azarenka said. However, from the second set, the 31-year-old transformed, played with more courage and confidence and gave her opponent no more opportunities.

Naomi Osaka undefeated in two grand finals

Osaka has been to a Grand Slam final twice so far, and won twice: her first major win was at the US Open in 2018 in a memorable match against Serena Williams (6: 2, 6: 4), which was marked by discussions between the American and the referee. Osaka then won the final of the 2019 Australian Open against Czech Petra Kvitova. Before and after that, she hadn’t made it past the knockout stages at the Grand Slams.

“It means a lot to me. New York is my second home. I love the atmosphere here,” Osaka said after reaching the final. In protest against racism and police violence in the United States, the Japanese wore a mask with the name of Philando Castile before and after the game: the black man was shot by a police officer in July 2016 at a traffic stop in the US state of Minnesota.

With Brady, who is trained by German Michael Geserer, 23-year-old Osaka delivered a balanced, upper-class punching exchange. As the first player, she was able to take a set from the American over the course of the tournament without first winning a breakball. Osaka used her first break opportunity to take a 3-1 lead in the decisive third set and then dominated the match. After 2:08, her entry to the final was secure.

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