The WTA China Open reached its conclusion on Sunday, and it couldn’t have asked for a much better final. Ashleigh Barty took on Naomi Osaka in a battle of the last two No. 1-ranked women’s tennis players.
The two — who were popular picks to win the tournament based on the China Open 2019 betting — played out a riveting three-set match, which was a fitting way to end a terrific tournament that featured outstanding tennis from some of the top women’s players at the moment.
And for all the SBOBET tennis fans out there, here’s a quick breakdown of all the big news items from the recently concluded China Open.
Naomi Osaka wins second title in a row
Naomi Osaka continued her late-season resurgence as she defeated Ashleigh Barty, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, in the final of the China Open.
It was Osaka’s second title in a row after she went out and won the Toray Pan Pacific Open in her hometown of Tokyo prior to her successful run in Beijing.
Osaka has now won three tournaments this season, including her win at the Australian Open to start the year. She has also won her last 10 matches in a row since crashing out in the fourth round of the US Open.
After the match, she expressed her pleasure in getting back on track following that setback in Flushing Meadows.
“It feels good,” Osaka said, in her post-match press conference. “For me, this was my goal. After I lost in the US Open — I pretty much don’t want to say I planned — but I really meditated on it. It just feels like I accomplished what I set out to do.”
Osaka lost the first set after making three double faults in the sixth game to give Barty a 4-2 lead. The Australian would go on to serve out the set. But despite going down a set, she managed to pick herself up.
“Basically I was telling myself to keep fighting even though my attitude was really trash. This is a final, I’m really privileged to be here in the first place, so keep fighting,” Osaka said.
“I feel like I wasn’t that calm here [at the tournament]. I threw my racket, like, once every match. I really wanted to win here, I felt like I had something to prove.”
That mental pep talk worked as she was able to break back in the second set to take a 4-2 lead of her own. She didn’t concede a single break point during that set and managed to seal it on her serve.
Osaka then broke the World No. 1 twice more in the third and final set to put the finishing touches on an impressive come-from-behind win.
Osaka and Bianca Andreescu begin potential rivalry
Osaka certainly earned her China Open crown, as evidenced by her impressive China Open 2019 results.
Prior to her matchup against the World No. 1 in the final, the Japanese also had to go through two other former Grand Slam winners in reigning US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in the quarterfinals and Carolina Wozniacki — who was also the tournament’s defending champion — in the semis.
Osaka’s battle with Andreescu was another three-set war and another where she had to come back after losing the opening set. She eventually rallied to end the Canadian teen’s impressive 17-match unbeaten run.
The 18-year-old Andreescu was understandably in a dismal mood after tasting defeat for the first time since March.
“I forgot how it felt, and honestly it sucks,” Andreescu said of losing. “I didn’t miss it. But at least I didn’t get whooped 1 and 1. I put on a fight. Honestly, it could have went either way. It was just some points here and there. At the same time I am pissed, but at the same time I’m proud of myself with how I played today.”
It was the first career meeting between Osaka and Andreescu. It’s likely the first of many potential battles between the two young Grand Slam champions, which both players acknowledged after the match.
“We’re gonna have many matches like this,” Andreescu said. “Our game styles are pretty different, but they level up pretty equally.”
“It’s bound to happen again,” Osaka said.
Their next encounter could potentially come at the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen. Osaka has booked her ticket to the year-end tournament, where she will join the likes of Andreescu, Barty, Karolina Pliskova, and Simona Halep as they battle it out for millions in prize money in this prestigious event.
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