Defending champion Karolina Pliskova fought back from a set down to upset No.3 seed Naomi Osaka and take her place in the Brisbane International 2020 final on Saturday. Pliskova ousted the defending Australian Open champion 6-7(12), 7-6, 6-2.
The Czech needed almost 3 hours and minutes to go past the Japanese star, thus setting up a final against Madison Keys.
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In the fifth meeting between the two players, Pliskova converted 3 out of 9 break points and saved 12 of them she faced in the encounter.
Naomi Osaka saved set points to win a tight first set
The games went with the serve till 6-6 as the set was forced to the tiebreaker. While Naomi Osaka couldn’t earn a single break chance in the set, Pliskova got two opportunities to break opponent’s serve in the 9th game but failed to secure the break.
The Czech started dominated the tiebreaker at the start to get a 4-2 lead before Osaka changed gears to win four consecutive points and two set points at 6-4. Pliskova then saved four set points but also squandered two of them before losing the tiebreaker 12-10.
It's @naomiosaka #大坂なおみ who takes that epic first set!
She leads Pliskova 7-6(10)!#BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/X8qDssdeH3
— WTA (@WTA) January 11, 2020
The tennis balls are destroyed.
The set is over.
The Championship is on the horizon.@NaomiOsaka wins the first set over Pliskova in a hard-hitting semifinal in Brisbane, 7-6(10).
Stream live on Plus→ https://t.co/kOnpr5uYMe#BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/eLZm30AgWz— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) January 11, 2020
Karolina Pliskova saved a match point and won the second set
The two players again missed break opportunities in the opening three games of the set. While the 22-year-old wasted 5 chances to break, Karolina missed two of them. The set went with the serves till 5-all before the Japanese star broke Pliskova to get a 6-5 lead.
While serving for the match, Osaka squandered a match point before getting broken for the first time in the match. Pliskova dominated the tiebreaker to clinch the second set 7-6(3) in 1 hour and 2 minutes.
Going three!
Karolina Pliskova saves match point and goes on to take the tiebreak.
Set 2:
Osaka: 19 winners, 11 unforced
Pliskova: 15 winners, 11 unforcedVery high quality pair of sets in over 2 hours played. #Brisbane
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) January 11, 2020
Pliskova seals the match
Pliskova took the momentum in the next set as she broke Osaka in her opening serve game. Osaka then squandered three break chances in the sixth game before getting broken again in the next game. The 27-year-old then served out the match and won the set 6-2.
In the other semi-finals, Madison Keys overcame two-time Grand Slam champion and former World No.2 Petra Kvitova 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. The World No.13 will now aim for her 6th WTA title in the Sunday’s final.
