When the Australian Open draw was held on February 5, the second half of the women’s singles draw drew intrigue. And as the matches came and went, and as Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams dedicated themselves to dominating the tennis court, it was clear that it was not going to be a question of ‘if’, but rather of ‘when’ the two titans. women’s tennis match in the semifinal.
Sure there was a chance that world No. 2 Simona Halep, a title contender in her own right, interrupted the narrative by defeating Williams in the quarterfinals, it could be argued that it was a ‘surprise’ if the Romanian won. that match.
But she certainly would have denied another exciting chapter in this more respectful rivalry between a legend and an apprentice who was once dubbed the ‘Next Serena’; the two most recognized tennis players on the planet today.
“If it happens, I’m sure a lot of people will be excited,” Osaka had said before Williams played Halep on Tuesday.
And when Williams took the Rod Laver Arena and beat Halep in what was, by her own admission, the best match she played so far in this tournament. He guaranteed that the fourth clash between Williams and Osaka, the second in a Grand Slam (the first was when Osaka won the US Open title in 2018), came at a time when both had caught up.
The only disappointment for the fans is that they won’t get the final they were hoping to see, but they will get a semi-final they wanted when the draw took place.
Heavy weights
In most respects, both games are similar. Williams, 39, has long been one of the most powerful players on the tour. She has great serve and equally great groundstrokes that complement her full attack game that has seen her win an Open Era record with 23 Grand Slam singles titles.
Meanwhile, Osaka grew up modeling her own skills based on the player she has idolized from a young age.
So far, both have earned 79 percent of points on their first serves. And the warm Melbourne conditions expected on Thursday, with the help of the fast courts of the Australian Open, will simply propel the hard-hitting duo forward.
Osaka leads 2-1 head to head
The first time they met was in the first round of the 2018 Miami Open. Williams was playing alone in her second tournament since returning to the tour after giving birth to a girl. Osaka won that tie 6-3, 6-2 against a clearly rusty American.
They met again, six months later, in the controversial US Open final, which Osaka won again in straight sets.
Williams cut one at Toronto in 2019, winning 6-3, 6-4.
Osaka undefeated after reaching quarter-finals in majors
So far, the 23-year-old Japanese player has reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam three times: at the US Open 2018, the Australian Open 2019 and the US Open 2020. He continued to win the title each time.
He will hope to continue in that vein to win his fourth title, but he has never faced a Serena who operates at such a high level.
Williams chasing his 24
Despite all her historic accomplishments and successes, Williams has entered a fourth year in her pursuit of Margaret Court’s all-time record for most individual Grand Slam titles.
Williams surpassed Steffi Graf’s Open Era record of 22 major victories when she won the 2017 Australian Open title, beating her older sister Venus in the final.
After that, she went on maternity leave and returned to touring more than a year later. His hunger for the elusive 24th Slam has not diminished, and he has come close to achieving it four times.
In 2018, she reached the Wimbledon and US Open finals, losing to Angelique Kerber and Osaka respectively. A year later, she reached the final of the same majors, losing to Halep (Wimbledon) and Bianca Andreescu (US Open).
He is now aiming for a fifth final.
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She is a freelance blogger, writer, and speaker, and writes for various entertainment magazines.