Japan’s Osaka defeats Brady to win second Australian Open title
News Desk
Posted On February 20, 2021
Japan’s Naomi Osaka beat Jennifer Brady in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, in the Australian Open final to win her fourth Grand Slam title on Saturday.
Osaka, the champion at Melbourne Park in 2019, edged a tight first set and broke twice in the second to win in 77 minutes in front of thousands of fans at Rod Laver Arena.
The 23-year-old is the first woman since Monica Seles to win her first four Grand Slam finals.
𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓂𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉.
When @naomiosaka became our 2021 Women's Singles champion 🏆#AO2021 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/Id3ZZhaJHh
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 20, 2021
Fans hoping for a repeat of the pair’s engrossing US Open semi-final last year were left disappointed as Brady froze in the spotlight of her first Grand Slam final.
Osaka played some way short of her best tennis but it was more than enough as she clinched six straight games to take the first set and stormed to a 4-0 lead in the second.
Brady belatedly conjured some resistance to break Osaka against the flow of play and claw back to 5-3.
But the 25-year-old American bowed out as she started, with errors flying off her racket.
The key numbers from an incredible @naomiosaka performance ⭐️🏆#AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/NwnEqfc0jA
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 20, 2021
Osaka served out the match to love, with a big serve sealing it when Brady thumped a forehand return long.
The win cements Osaka’s status as the new queen of the women’s game, though she is yet to reach the last 16 at the remaining Grand Slam tournaments, Wimbledon and the French Open.
Source: France24
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