The 2018 US Open Women Final will see Serena Williams take on Naomi Osaka in today’s final. Serena will be eyeing a record 24 Grand Slam title when she takes on the Japanese sensation who has worked her way to this final. 36-year-old Serena will be looking to win her seventh Flushing Meadows title, a record which will make her the most successful woman in the open era in this competition. It is all about records and more records for Williams. For Naomi, this is a dream come through as she faces her idol in a Grand Slam final. Both players met in the opening round of Miami Open with the Japanese dispatching the American in straight sets. Can she take it a notch further on this big occasion?
SERENA WILLIAMS v NAOMI OSAKA – SAT. 08 SEPT 2018, 21.00HRS
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SERENA WILLIAMS
The Great Serena Williams can take another step further into tennis immortality if she is able to overcome young gun Naomi Osaka this evening. Williams became a mother at this period last year and was fighting for her life due to complications after child birth will be playing another Slam final this year following her remarkable run at this year’s Wimbledon Open. Serena returned to the court earlier in the year and was ranked outside the top 100 before working her way back. She wasn’t amongst the top 16 seed for this tournament but she is assured of a top 20 ranking place regardless of the final outcome.
Serena dispatched her first three opponents (Magda Linette, Carina Witthoft and Venus Williams) in straight sets before she was taken to three sets by Kaia Kanepi in the Round of 16. Karolina Pliskova was her victim in the quarters and Anastasija Sevastova in the semis.
Williams is not at her supreme best and she acknowledges it. She said “this is just the beginning of my return. I’m still on the way up. There’s still much more that I plan on doing. You don’t reach your best a couple months in”. “I’m still waiting to get to be the Serena that I was, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be that physically, emotionally, mentally… But I’m on my way. I feel like I still have a ways to go. Once I get there, I’ll be able to play even hopefully better.”
This isn’t the type of message her rivals would like to hear but we are excited about the future for Serena.
NAOMI OSAKA
This is uncharted territory for 20-year-old Japanese who is playing her first Grand Slam final against her idol who will be appearing in her 31st. Naomi wasn’t born when her opponent made her professional debut in the sport but today she is up against her. She is the first Japanese to reach a Grand Slam final which is a remarkable feat on its own but the Florida based tennis player would hope for a repeat of the her Miami Open meeting in March when she defeated Serena in straight sets.
Naomi’s run to the final wouldn’t be a surprise to tennis buff who have watched this young gun rise. The winner of the Indian Well championship has been knocking on doors in search of her first Grand Slam final. This year’s run is her best at any Slam having never gone beyond the fourth round before.
Just like Serena, Naomi has had a similar run to this final winning her first three round matches (against Laura Siegemund, Julia Glushko, Aliaksandra Sasnovich). Aryna Sabalenka took her to three sets in the Round of 16 while she made light work of Lesia Tsurenko in the last eight. Home girl Madison Keys couldn’t stop her in the semi-final with Naomi winning in straight sets.
Over the last two weeks, Osaka has shown what a dangerous player she is and can become but consistency which seem to be missing in many tennis stars game is still a part of her game currently. Whatever the outcome of the final, Naomi needs to improve that aspect of her game if she hopes to emulate her idol. Osaka spoke highly of her opponent ahead of the showdown; “Even when I was a little kid, I always dreamed that I would play Serena in a final of a Grand Slam. Just the fact that it’s happening, I’m very happy about it”. “At the same time I feel like even though I should enjoy this moment, I should still think of it as another match. I shouldn’t really think of her as my idol. I should just try to play her as an opponent.” It’s time for her to match her words with action.
Serena Williams v Naomi Osaka will play the 2018 US Open Women Final live in New York today Saturday, 08 September from 21.00hours local time.
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