Crediting Osaka’s dazzling streak in Melbourne, which now stands at eight after her run to the title last year, solely on superstitions seems a stretch. It downplays her brilliant play.
When the 24-year-old raced through the first five games in just 16 minutes against her Colombian rival, a rout seemed in the offing.
Osaka claimed the first six points of the match, with the last two of that initial streak setting the tone and, perhaps, the championship if she can improve on her form.
She thumped a forehand winner with her very first return. On the next point, she crunched another forehand winner midway through the point.
There was evidence that Osaka is working on areas of her performance as she strives to introduce more variety into a game that is world-beating on hard courts.
She sliced her backhand with some regularity, and she has previously mentioned a determination to become more adept at the net.
“I’ve always practised the backhand slice, but I never felt comfortable enough to use it in a match,” she said.
“I think this off-season, and then leading into this tournament, I was having more fun with myself.
“[I was] just trying not to really care if I made a mistake hitting the slice because I know that gradually it will become a better shot for me.”
The dip in concentration late in the first set, where she lost three games in succession and almost a fourth, is another area her coach Wim Fissette has been working to correct.
“We’re actually trying to make her aware that things can turn around quickly [when] you lose a bit of a concentration,” he told The Age before the tournament.
“[With] a few good balls, the other one gets confident, and then things can turn around.”
Naomi Osaka plays a forehand on day one of the Australian Open. Credit:Getty Images
Part of this is due to ring rust. Osaka won a grand slam title last year. But she also played only 26 matches in 2021, winning 18 of them, after twice taking sabbaticals from the tour.
“I think I was up 5-0 and had a little dip, but I was fortunate enough to close it out,” she told reporters in Japanese.
“I think that’s something that I hope I’m not in that position in my next match. If I am, I already did it this time around, so I guess I’ll learn from it.”
Osaka has a reputation for social justice activism. She was a prominent voice in the Black Lives Matter protests in the United States through the summer of 2020.
She did not want to comment on the saga that led to Novak Djokovic, the other defending champion, being deported from Australia on Sunday night.
“For me, my goal … even before this whole situation is to just focus on myself more, what I need to do to become better,” she said.
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But she was hopeful of better news regarding the other political saga to have engulfed tennis since November, namely the fears the tours hold for the welfare of Peng Shuai.
“I haven’t heard any news. I’m not sure if that’s concerning or not,” she said.
“But I think the WTA, the whole organisation, they handled it really well. I’m really proud of them.
“I feel like it’s a situation where we need more information, which is definitely really hard. Kind of, I think, everyone is waiting.”
Quirky rituals carry Osaka to easy first round win
Source: Philippines Alive
