Naomi Osaka said she was mentally stronger than ever after emphatically ending Serena Williams’s latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam crown Thursday.
The Japanese third seed swept past the American veteran 6-3, 6-4 to reach the Australian Open final for a second time after winning in 2019.
She will face Jennifer Brady on Saturday for a fourth Slam title after the American beat Czech Karolina Muchova 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
“I think for me, match experience definitely helped me out,” said Osaka, who reeled off five games in a row in the opening set after going 2-0 down.
“There was a point when I got broken today... in my head I had all these thoughts about how she’s the best server, I’m probably not going to be able to break her. Then I told myself to erase those thoughts and I was telling myself I don’t care because I can only play one point at a time and I’m going to try my best to play every point as well as I can.”
“For me, I think the thing that I’m most proud of is now mentally strong I’ve become,” added Osaka, whose previous Grand Slam successes came at Flushing Meadows in 2018 and last year, and Melbourne in 2019.
Read: What Serena’s tears after Australian Open exit tell us
The victory left Williams, who won her last major in Melbourne in 2017, stranded on 23 Grand Slam titles as she strives to match Margaret Court’s all-time record.
Since winning while pregnant in Australia four years ago, Williams has lost four Slam finals, including the controversial and heated 2018 US Open decider against Osaka.
“The difference today was errors. I made so many errors,” said the American veteran, who broke down in tears and walked out of a post-match press conference.
Watch: Serena Williams walks out of press conference in tears after loss to Naomi Osaka
‘Make a shot!’
While Osaka held a 2-1 head-to-head advantage going into the blockbuster clash, 39-year-old Williams had a huge edge on big-match experience.
But the 23-year-old boasted a 100% win record in Slams when she got past the fourth round, and she kept it intact.
Williams worked hard on her fitness during the off-season and quickly asserted herself, breaking Osaka straight away with the Japanese sensation having issues with the sun and ball toss. She consolidated by holding serve, with Osaka guilty of five unforced errors in the opening two games.
Osaka said before the match she still felt intimidated seeing Williams on the other side of the net, but her early nerves soon settled. She saved a break point in the next game and got off the mark with an ace, then broke back to level the scores at 2-2 when Williams sent a forehand long.
Now well and truly in her groove, with her forehand doing most of the damage, Osaka won off five games in a row, and the set, to leave Williams stunned.
She broke again on Williams’s opening serve of the second set, with the American screaming: “Make a shot, make a shot!”
With the crowd roaring her on, Williams stayed in touch but Osaka broke again and calmly serving out for victory.
Watch the match highlights:
With AFP Inputs
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