By Richard Paglaro | @TennisNow | Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Photograph credit score: Rob Newell/CameraSport
Naomi Osaka wears headphones for the walk-on and is tuned right into a signature sound throughout play.
The previous world No. 1 returned to her favored exhausting courts in Toronto at this time trying like Naomi Osaka and sounding like Iga Swiatek.
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Osaka sped by way of seven of the final eight video games sweeping two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur 6-3, 6-1 in her Toronto opener.
4-time Grand Slam champion Osaka gained 20 of 26 first-serve factors and didn’t face a break level in a one hour, 11-minute victory.
Afterward, Osaka she’s striving to emulate Swiatek’s squeaky sneaker hold forth the exhausting court docket to maintain as a reminder to maintain her toes energetic.
“I believe throughout these, like the primary few tournaments, I used to be form of counting on, like, my expertise and I assume my, like what I knew till that time, however tennis is evolving and everybody will get higher,” Osaka mentioned. “I actually needed to look at the gamers and study from them. I used to be telling you guys final time, however I am actually attempting to, like, do the squeaky toes like Iga, and I believe I did it fairly effectively at this time, so fortunately that is understanding.
Transitioning from Roland Garros’ pink clay the place Osaka misplaced to fellow former world No. 1 Angelique Kerber on the Paris Olympics to Toronto’s blue exhausting court docket is a welcome transition for Osaka, who calls the floor “my treasured exhausting court docket.”
All 4 of Osaka’s Grand Slam titles have come on exhausting court docket and she or he regarded proper at dwelling at this time in Toronto enjoying her model of attacking baseline tennis.
“I’d say my favourite factor about exhausting court docket, I do not know, it is quick, however it’s not too quick,” Osaka informed the media in Toronto. “Like, I really feel like on grass it is one way or the other a bit of bit reactive, and I clearly could not get used to that fast sufficient, however on exhausting it form of offers me not less than a second to, I assume, construct up the purpose.
“I additionally really feel like which may even be the rationale why I did higher on clay versus grass, simply because I do fairly like constructing the purpose.”
A formidable side of Osaka’s win over Jabeur at this time was her first-serve proportion was solely 45 %, however she backed her second serve solidly profitable 58 % of second-serve factors.
Subsequent up for Osaka is Elise Mertens, who defeated Katie Volynets 6-3, 6-1.