Wednesday, 16 January 2019

AO - Osaka d Linette in destructive fashion

As the 2019 Australian Open continued, reigning US Open champion Naomi Osaka (4) ended the second Night Session on RLA.


Her opponent from Poland was Magda Linette. 

Osaka began with a winner, but three errors enabled Linette to hold serve.

Two aces and a backhand winner sealed an emphatic reply from the fourth seed.

A Linette double fault followed by Osaka winners from both sides gave the Japanese number one three break points.  Two were saved through Linette winners, but a second double for the game was costly, and Osaka led 2-1.


Up 30-15, Osaka double faulted, then failed twice with her backhand to immediately give the service break back to Linette.  2-2.

A third successive break occurred, starting with an Osaka winning forehand and progressing with Polish backhand woes interspersed with a double fault.

This time, Osaka consolidated the break, hitting four clean winners, two off each wing. 4-2.

Linette was trailing 30-40 in the next game, but managed to avoid a second break, including sending a forehand past Osaka. 3-4.

A second straight love game to Osaka, all based on Linette mistakes. 5-3.

Now, serving to stay in the set, Linette survived, all but one point decided on the Osaka racquet.


Osaka served another love game to clinch the set 6-4, the final point an ace.


Set two started with Linette holding serve for the loss of just a point, a backhand ending the game.

Two winning forehands and an ace - Osaka levelled at 1-1, now having won 16 straight points on serve.

Two Osaka winning backhands set up two break points, one saved with a Linette forehand, but not the second when the same forehand failed.

Osaka ahead 2-1.

After 17 points won in a row on serve, Osaka lost one, but that was the only joy for Linette as the fourth seed held for 3-1.

Linette double faulted for 30-30, but still held, and trailed 2-3


Yet another love game and Osaka led 4-2.

A double fault and an Osaka forehand return winner helped create two break points.  The second was converted with another winning forehand.

Naomi Osaka won the match 6-4 6-2, contributing two aces in her final service game, one of those on the last point.

30 winners in just 58 minutes.

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