‘They Made Me Play Serena Williams’ – Naomi Osaka Remembers Her Tough First Match in Miami as Iga Swiatek Flourishes
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Today, tennis fans are hoping for an exciting final between Naomi Osaka and Iga Swiatek at the Miami Open. It is noteworthy that both players will be playing in the Miami Open final for the first time. Naomi’s best result came in last year when she reached the quarter-final here. Meanwhile, before their final match, Naomi praised the Polish superstar, as she’s eying the ‘Sunshine Double.’
Naomi Osaka praises Iga Swiatek for her tremendous achievement
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Naomi Osaka, herself, showed great form in the Miami Open. After beating Swiss tennis player Belinda Bencic in the semi-final by 4-6,6-3,6-4 Naomi will play the soon-to-be no.1 Iga Swiatek in the final. Before that, the Japanese player talked about Iga and her motivation at the moment.
“Yeah, I think it’s really amazing to see how far she’s come. She’s just so motivated. I know when I won Indian Wells I was just like really dead, and then they made me play Serena in the first round. I was like, Whoa, dude,” Osaka said about Swiatek.
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“It’s just incredible to see she’s still in this tournament and still fighting, and she’s going to be No. 1 soon or already. It’s really cool. I think the WTA is definitely doing its thing,” the Japanese player further said.
Osaka: “When I won Indian Wells I was really dead, & then they made me play Serena in 1R Miami. I was like, Whoa, dude.
"It’s incredible to see Iga's still in this tournament and still fighting and going to be No.1 soon. It’s cool. I think the WTA is definitely doing its thing." pic.twitter.com/QLQIMUkxpp
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) April 1, 2022
Notably, Naomi Osaka won the Indian Wells in 2018, and then she played Serena Williams in the first round at the Miami Open. Even though she won that match, she lost in the second round of that tournament.
Osaka is vying for her first title in Miami
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After reaching the quarter-final of the Miami Open last year, Osaka bettered her performance this year by reaching the final. However, the final match will not be easy for the former world no.1. Right now, 20-year-old Polish player, Iga Swiatek, is in incredible form. Also, she is on a 16-match winning streak in 2022.
The last time they faced each other was in 2019 when Naomi beat Swiatek in straight sets. However, the tables have turned this time around, as Swiatek is not the same player anymore. Also, she will become the new no.1 after Ash Barty’s retirement.
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Can Naomi Osaka beat Swiatek to cause an upset? Let us know in the comments.
Edited by:
Deepakshi Chaudhary