Melbourne: With a resilience forged in the strife-torn US Open tennis tournament final, Naomi Osaka clinched her second Grand Slam title Saturday at the Australian Open, but this time there was no drama that could sour her triumph.
Osaka’s breakthrough victory in New York in September was overshadowed by an explosive row between her opponent Serena Williams and the chair umpire Carlos Ramos, the fall-out from the ruckus echoing well beyond match point.
Reduced to tears during the trophy ceremony, her crowning moment as Japan’s first Grand Slam title winner was spoiled as a hostile crowd at Arthur Ashe stadium jeered.
The tears flowed again Saturday, first in anguish after losing the second set in a riveting final and finally in joy as she celebrated a victory over Petra Kvitova.
There was not an ounce of bitterness as Osaka accepted the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup from Asia’s first Grand Slam champion Li Na, with only warm cheers ringing from the Rod Laver Arena terraces.
“In New York, most of the crowd was for Serena. Here it felt like they were split a little bit,” Osaka told reporters. “Yeah, I mean, honestly when I was playing her, and I heard the crowd was for both of us, I was very happy. At the same time I was just trying to focus on playing the match.”
Being Osaka, there was also a bit of awkwardness. The 21-year-old started her victory speech by apologising for not being a strong ‘public speaker’, then stopped half-way through to put the trophy down.
Her racquet, of course, may be the tour’s biggest loudspeaker, with the boom of her 192 km/hr serves and winners echoing around centre court. With the win Osaka became Asia’s first World No.1 in the sport.
Osaka spoke of a tournament where she had found the ability to win on ‘will power alone’, a quality regularly attributed to Serena throughout her career of 23 Grand Slam titles.
“For me, I feel like it hasn’t really sunk in. Maybe in the next tournament I play, if I see the No.1 next to my name, I’ll feel something,” stated Osaka. “But for now, I’m more happy that I won this trophy.”
Agencies
