Reuters
[Source: Reuters]
Naomi Osaka said she had learned to love tennis more than ever after returning to the U.S. Open semi-finals on with a 6-4 7-6(3) victory over Karolina Muchova that underlined her resurgence on the sport’s biggest stage.
Four years after winning the last of her four major titles, the 23rd seed, who returned to the tour last season after a lengthy maternity break, stretched her unbeaten run in major quarter-finals to 5-0 and booked a clash with Amanda Anisimova.
Muchova, who had been on court for more than 10 hours over four draining rounds, needed treatment in the locker room for what looked like a left leg issue after dropping a tight opening set, but came out firing to break at the start of the next.
With heavy strapping on her thigh, her movement was hampered at times but she continued to frustrate Osaka with her inventive brand of tennis to break for a 5-4 lead, only for her opponent to wrest back the initiative and go through after the tiebreak.
Osaka switched focus to Thursday’s match against eighth seed Anisimova. She said she expected a huge test from the local favourite who is on the rise again after suffering a brutal 6-0 6-0 mauling by Iga Swiatek in the Wimbledon final.
The 24-year-old got her revenge with a 6-4 6-3 win over Swiatek earlier on Wednesday.
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