A loss to Naomi Osaka is not exactly a bad result these days–certainly not for someone just make a comeback from childbirth. After all, Osaka just won the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells last weekend.
No matter. Serena Williams was still fuming after getting trounced by the 20-year-old 6-3, 6-2 during first-round action at the Miami Open on Wednesday afternoon, when Osaka struck seven aces, held all eight of her service games, and saved two break points while prevailing in one hour and 17 minutes.
Serena was seen storming out of Crandon Park in a car almost immediately following the match, fueling speculation that there would be no press conference.
There wasn’t.
“Every tournament is an opportunity for me to understand the areas I need to improve to be my best,” the former world No. 1 eventually wrote in a statement released by the WTA. “Naomi played a great match and I learn something each time I play. I look forward to continuing my return by progressing every day.”
Osaka, of course, was more than happy to hold her post-match presser.
“She’s the main reason why I started playing tennis,” Osaka said of the younger Williams sister. “I have seen her on TV so many times and I have always been cheering for her, so for me to play against her and just sort of trying to detach myself a little bit from thinking that I’m playing against her and just try to think I’m playing against just a regular opponent was a little bit hard for me. Just to see her in person…because since I’m kind of new to the tour when she sort of left for that, in the Australian Open. I haven’t really seen her around a lot. So it’s kind of weird to see her not on TV for me, so to like shake her hand and stuff I thought it was pretty cool.
“I wasn’t paying attention if she was struggling or not. I was just trying to make my balls in and stuff. Like, if you’re playing against someone that’s the greatest player, I’m not trying to look over on that side of the court too much–because I think I would freak myself out a little bit. Then I would start thinking if she’s struggling, if she’s not struggling, if I should be doing this, if I should be doing that.
“So I just tried look on my side of the court and not think too much about what she was doing.”
What Serena will be doing next is incurring a $1,000 fine for skipping a mandatory post-match press conference–not exactly an amount that will make any kind of impact on her bank account.
hardly surprising
😂, no impact on her bank.
Naomi Osaka is really cool, she is funny and has a good character.
She faces a very good player in the 2nd round, Elina Svitolina and the H2H stands at 2-2.
If Osaka is not exhausted this will be an interesting match, Elina won their last meeting in Dubai 6-2, 6-4.
Both player’s are good and they have a bright future.
so who yur pick stan elena or oshaka
what you bet todayy