Naomi Osaka has not lost since February 2020. Even in times of Covid, it’s an eternity and this accumulated confidence (eighteenth victory in a row) allowed her to resist anything against Garbiñe Muguruza in the round of 16 . Very solid, the Spaniard offered him huge opposition on Sunday and pushed it to its very last limits.
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Led 6-4, 2-0, then 5-3 in the third set, the Japanese even brilliantly dismissed two match points at 5-3 (15-40) on an ace and a forehand attack to win. 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 in 1h55. For this first confrontation between Grand Slam winners, the two players hit hard. One, the Spaniard, bet on solidity with an ultra-efficient service (79% from first balls, 8 aces) and a very fair game. The other, the Japanese, highlighted her qualities of punching and matcheuse at the end of the meeting.
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Despite ups and downs (40 winning strokes, 36 unforced errors), the recent double winner of the US Open has proved intractable in the money time. Back to the wall at 5-3 (15-40) in the third set, she put more physical intensity, reduced her unforced errors by choosing less risky areas and further raised her level of play to join the surprise of the tournament, Hsieh Su-Wei, in the quarterfinals.
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