( Naomi Osaka & Serena Williams)
Speed Post News Network
Patna : Third seed & winner of three Grand Slam singles titles Naomi Osaka, 23, Japan, beat 10th seed Serena Williams, 39, USA, in straight sets in semi-finals at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Park, Australia, on February 18, 2021, to reach the final of Australian Open (AO) 2021 dashing the American’s hope of winning her record equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title at the event.
Osaka, the 2019 AO champion, beat seven-time AO champion Serena in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 in semi-finals. Osaka won 4 break points during the match to 2 by Serena. The Japanese also won 5 games in a row in the match to 2 by the American. Osaka, in all, won 62 points during the match to just 48 by Serena.
The Japanese fired 6 Aces in the match to just 3 by the American. Osaka, however, also committed 8 double faults during the match to just 1 by the American, who won AO title in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015, and 2017. Serena has also won 7 Wimbledon singles title, 6 US Open, and 3 French Open titles.
Osaka had won 2018 US Open title, her first Grand Slam singles title, beating Serena in the final. Osaka now leads Serena 3-2 Head to Head. Osaka will face the winner of the second semi-finals between 25th Karolina Muchova, Czech Republic, and 22 seed Jennifer Brady, USA, in the final.