Naomi Osaka, the former world No. 1, reached the final of the ASB Classic tennis tournament in Auckland after a decisive victory against American player Alycia Parks, with scores of 6-4, 6-2 in the semifinals. This win signifies her first WTA singles final appearance since last January, when she returned to competitive tennis following the birth of her child and a significant hiatus.
Speaking to the WTA website, Osaka shared her enthusiasm about reaching the final, highlighting that it was a unique achievement for her to reach this stage in a tournament just before the Australian Open. At 27 years old and currently ranked 57th in the world, Osaka noted that there is always room for growth and improvement, regardless of age or experience.
During the match, Osaka quickly broke back against Parks, who is ranked 78th, and secured another break to take the first set. In the second set, she successfully held all her serves, ultimately completing the match in 1 hour and 11 minutes. As the seventh seed, she will face Denmark's Clara Tauson, who is ranked 50th and seeded fifth, in the final of this WTA 250 tournament.
8 Comments
Habibi
Tauson will be a tough opponent for Osaka in the final. Can she pull off another win? 🤔
Africa
It's great to see Osaka back in the final, but I'm not sure if she can win it all.
Comandante
Yasss! So excited for Naomi Osaka! She's a true inspiration and her comeback story is amazing.
ytkonos
So happy to see Osaka back in the final after everything she's been through. This is a huge step in her comeback. 👏
lettlelenok
I'm not convinced that Osaka is the same player she was before her break. She has a lot of work to do.
Raphael
Queen Naomi is back! Can't wait to see her take on Tauson in the final.
Donatello
Tauson is a rising star and she could be a real threat to Osaka's chances of winning the tournament.
Leonardo
I'm not sure if Osaka can handle the pressure of playing in a final. She seems to crumble under the pressure.