Australian Open 2021 - Japan's Naomi Osaka: 'I always watch Serena Williams's matches anyway'

ByEurosport

Updated 16/02/2021 at 06:44 GMT

Naomi Osaka says she watches all of the matches that Serena Williams plays in. Serena is considered one of the greatest female tennis players to have ever played the game and is chasing a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam to put her level with Australian Margaret Court. The 2021 Australian Open is live on Eurosport. Watch every match live and ad-free on the Eurosport app and eurosport.co.uk.

Naomi Osaka says she always watches Serena Williams' matches after the Japanese number three seed secured her place in the Australian Open semi-finals.

The brute force of Osaka crushed the artistry of Hsieh Su-wei as the 2019 Australian Open champion charged into the semis with a 6-2 6-2 win on Tuesday.

She will play either Williams or Simona Halep in the next round. Osaka admits she always watches the 23-Grand Slam winner play, even if there isn't the possibility of them going head-to-head.

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"I always watch Serena's matches anyway," she said in her on-court interview on Rod Laver Arena.

"Normally I never look at my draw, but everyone has told me about my draw here so I had no choice but to know why my next opponent is.

"It's [the semi-final] definitely going to be really fun."

'I always watch Serena's matches' - Osaka's reaction to beating Hsieh in straight sets

Osaka was delighted to overcome Hsieh in straight sets and admits she felt a newfound sense of calmness in the match having come back from two match points down against Garbine Muguruza in the previous round to progress to the quarters.

"I'm really happy with how I played today, too," she said. "Every time I play her it's such a battle. Even though the score was like this it was actually really another battle for me.

"Her shot-making... she's able to hit winners from both sides and you don't know when she's about to go forwards.

"It [saving two match points against Muguruza in previous round] makes me a bit more calm knowing that even though my back really was against the wall I still had opportunities.

Knowing that even today when she had two match points and saved them both normally I feel like I would've panicked but today I was really calm.

Highlights | Su-Wei Hsieh - Naomi Osaka

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