Naomi Osaka dominates Jennifer Brady to win Australian Open final
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Japan's Naomi Osaka on Saturday defeated Jeniffer Brady 6-4, 6-3 to win the Australian Open final as she continued her unbeaten streak to 21 matches. Osaka, with the dominating win, becomes only the fourth active WTA player to win more than three major singles titles. Osaka also closed the gap with world number one Ashleigh Barty after finding herself second in the rankings following the win over Brady.
Japan's Naomi Osaka on Saturday defeated Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3 to win the Australian Open final as she continued her unbeaten streak to 21 matches (14 Grand Slam matches). Osaka, with the dominating win, becomes only the fourth active WTA player to win more than three major singles titles. Osaka also closed the gap with world number one Ashleigh Barty after finding herself second in the rankings following the win over Brady.
The 23-year-old becomes only the third player after Monica Seles and Roger Federer to win their first four major finals. This was Osaka's second Australian Open win as she continues to rise in the world of tennis.
Osaka won the tight first set while breaking Brady twice in the second to win the match 6-4, 6-3 in 77 minutes in front of thousands of cheerful fans at the Rod Laver Arena. Third-seeded Osaka now holds a 100 per cent record in Grand Slam finals following her win in 2018 and 2020 US Opens and 2019 win in Melbourne.
"We played in the semis of the US Open a couple of months ago and I told everyone that you're going to be a problem," Osaka told Brady at the trophy presentation.
"And I was right. It's really incredible to me to see your growth over the past few months, it's really cool for me to see."
Osaka saved two match points in the fourth round against Garbine Muguruza before lifting the coveted Australian Open trophy.
Osaka, who also beat her idol, Serena Williams, in straight sets in the semi-finals, has not lost a match in more than a year.
Brady belatedly conjured some resistance to break Osaka against the flow of play and claw back to 5-3. But the American bowed out as she started, with errors flying off her racket. Osaka served out the match to love, with a big serve sealing it when Brady thumped a forehand return long
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