Osaka’s goal: Squeak Like Swiatek

Posted by Richard Paglaro | @TennisNow | Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Photo credit: Rob Newell/CameraSport

Naomi Osaka it wears headphones on the go and is tuned to a signature sound during play.

The former world No. 1 returned to the popular hard courts in Toronto today looking and feeling like Naomi Osaka Iga Swiatek.

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Osaka has advanced to seven of her last eight matches to sweep the two-time Wimbledon final In Jabeur 6-3, 6-1 in his Toronto opener.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka won 20 of 26 points in the first game and did not face a break point in the one-hour, 11-minute victory.

Afterwards, Osaka tries to imitate Swiatek’s crying port from the court to keep it as a reminder to keep his feet active.

“I think with those, like the first few tournaments, I was confident, like my talent and I think my, like what I knew until then, but tennis is improving and everyone is getting better,” Osaka said. “I really wanted to watch the players and learn from them. I was telling you last time, but I’m really trying, like doing crawling feet like Iga, and I think I did it very well today, thank you for that. that works.

A change from the red clay of Roland Garros where Osaka lost to the former world No. 1 Angelique Kerber from the Paris Olympics to Toronto’s blue hard court is a welcome change for Osaka, who calls the surface “my precious hard court.”

All four of Osaka’s Grand Slam titles have come on hard court and she looked at home today in Toronto playing her attacking style of tennis.

“I can say what I like about the hard court is, I don’t know, it’s fast, but not too fast,” Osaka told reporters in Toronto. “Right now, I feel that on the grass somehow it works a little bit, and obviously I couldn’t get used to that fast enough, but it’s hard to give me at least a second, I think, to make a point.

“I feel that may be the reason why I do better with clay instead of grass, because I like to make a point more.”

The impressive feature of Osaka’s victory over Jabeur today is that his percentage of the first player was only 45 percent, but he supported his performance in the second by firmly winning 58 points of the second.

Next up is Osaka Elise Mertens, defeated Katie Volynets 6-3, 6-1.