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Osaka laughs off Hsieh scare to make Open fourth round
MELBOURNE, Jan 19, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Japan’s Naomi Osaka rode her emotions
as a third-round exit loomed at the Australian Open Saturday, eventually
finding laughter the best medicine for her faltering form.
The US champion conceded the first set to Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and was
down 4-1 in the second before a five-game winning streak forced a decider and
she took control for a 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 victory.
Fourth seed Osaka uncharacteristically blew her cool as she struggled
against Hsieh’s unorthodox strokeplay, receiving a warning for racquet abuse.
The 21-year repeatedly apologised for her outburst after the match and said
it was laughter, not anger, that allowed her to advance to the last 16.
Osaka, who faces Latvian 13th seed Anastasija Sevastova next, said she
found it difficult to settle veteran world number 27 Hsieh’s dizzying mix of
drop shots and slices.
“She hits very different from everyone else. I can never really tell where
she’s going to put the ball,” Osaka said.
“She hits down the line and then hits a weird crosscourt. It’s very, very
hard to have a rally with her.”
After taking her frustrations out on her racquet, Osaka tried a different
approach and released a slightly manic laugh after Hsieh again succeeded with
an unexpected shot.
– ‘I got overwhelmed’ –
She said it released the tension and her fightback began.
“I walked into the match knowing that she was going to do a lot of strange
things, no offence,” Osaka said. “She was just playing so well and I think I
got overwhelmed.
“I tried doing things that are not necessarily my game… then after a
while I started thinking ‘I’m in a Grand Slam. I shouldn’t be sad, I’m
playing against a really great player, so I should just enjoy it and try and
do the best I can’.
“I think that’s why I laughed.”
Osaka’s win equals her best performance at the Australian Open, where she
reached the last 16 in 2018 but lost to world number one Simona Halep.
Osaka started well, firing down two aces in her first service game before
unleashing a backhand winner that left Hsieh wrong-footed.
But Hsieh pounced as the error-rate crept and the normally softly-spoken
Osaka became agitated when she conceded three set points, dropping to her
haunches as she tried to regain composure.
She saved one with an ace and managed to run Hsieh around to fend off
another but hit a wild forehand over her opponent’s head on the third to go
down a set.
The second set began badly for Osaka when she conceded an early break and
then continued to struggle as Hsieh zipped around the court making stunning
returns.
“She didn’t miss, she ran everything down,” Osaka said. “I just felt like
she was playing too good and I had to wait (but) it’s a bit difficult to do
that, because my patience isn’t so great.”
She broke back against the run of play and built momentum with a crucial
hold on break point before serving out the set on 42 minutes.
Osaka fell heavily late in the set but shook off any discomfort and
proceeded to open the final set with a break after smashing a sizzling cross-
court backhand.
She held to go 2-0 up, extending her winning streak to seven games.
Hsieh, 33, finally began to tire and the younger player was in control as
she closed out the match.
BSS/AFP/MR/ 1220 hrs