After a fortnight, it has narrowed down to two players from the initial draw size of 128 players. #NaomiOsaka and #PetraKvitova survived the tough challenges from other competitors and surged into their first #AustralianOpen final of their careers. Going against each other for the first time, there is a lot at stake in this highly-anticipated final between these two extremely hard-hitters.
Entering the final of the first Major of the year, Osaka and Kvitova has been fighting for the number one ranking and for their first triumph in Melbourne. All of that will come onto the line on Saturday -- with the winner taking away their first Australian Open trophy, 2000 ranking points and more importantly, the world number one ranking.
Kvitova's route to the final
Kvitova received a very tricky draw, and was in huge danger of an early exit especially after her heroics at the Apia International Sydney where she hoisted the trophy but looked horrifyingly tired during her final against Ashleigh Barty.
She produced an amazing one-sided performance against Magdalena Rybarikova in the opening round, strolling past the Slovakian with the loss of just two games. Kvitova then produced another masterclass, stomping past Irina-Camelia Begu in another straightforward match.
Facing Belinda Bencic in another tricky encounter, Kvitova looked exceptionally flawless as she battled past the Swiss with the loss of just four games, entering the second week of a Major for the first time since the 2017 US Open.
Kvitova, facing a very tough competitor in Amanda Anisimova, triumphed over the American without having to face much hassle as she exacted revenge for her Indian Wells loss against Anisimova last year. This sent her into just the second Australian Open quarterfinal of her career.
Going up against home favourite and 15th seed Ashleigh Barty under the lights of the Rod Laver Arena, Kvitova stunned the home crowd and impressed as she steered past the dark horse after just around an hour of play to surge into the semi-finals.
She faced surprise package Danielle Collins in the last four — her first-round opponent at the Brisbane International weeks ago. However, this time it was much more smooth-sailing for Kvitova as she overcame a tight first set to prevail with a one-sided 7-6, 6-0 scoreline to book her spot in her first-ever Australian Open final.
Osaka’s route to the final
Osaka received a favourable draw, and her path to the second week looked relatively clear from the early stages. She eased past Magda Linette and Tamara Zidansek without losing a set to reach the third round, where she was handed a really huge scare.
Finding herself trailing 5-7, 0-3, it seemed as though Osaka was set for a surprising early-exit to the unheralded yet tricky Hsieh Su-wei, but she produced a magnificent comeback to triumph in three marathon sets. She once again had to survive another onslaught from 13th seed Anastasija Sevastova, a player she always had trouble against. Osaka battled from a set down to triumph, booking her first-ever ticket into the quarterfinals here in Melbourne.
Osaka faced no troubles against a hampered Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals, stomping past the Ukrainian in straight sets to set up a semifinal clash against Karolina Pliskova. Overcoming a very tough challenge, the Japanese surged into her second consecutive Major final and will have a legitimate chance of grabbing the world number one spot.
Match Analysis
Both players hit the ball extremely hard, but one notable factor could be Osaka's vulnerable second serves which could result in some punishing Kvitova return winners. The Czech could struggle with her consistency and ability to return the powerful first serves, but she can produce some excellent defence when she needs it.
Osaka will look to stay patient in rallies and avoid trying to overpower her fellow hard-hitter, which will not be a smart choice considering the amount of risk involved in going for the lines. Osaka would favour the conditions if it was hot and humid as Kvitova will struggle in them, but since the match starts at 7.30 pm local time the temperature should not be much of a factor here.
Patience seems to be the keyword in this clash between the two most aggressive players on tour. It does not depend on who is the more powerful player; but rather, who can handle the pace and control her aggression smartly.
Osaka is unbeaten in Grand Slam finals, but she has only contested one while this is Kvitova’s third. The Japanese has won 13 consecutive Major matches while the Czech claimed her last eight finals — and both are impressive feats by any means.
Kvitova has looked flawless in the past fortnight while Osaka had experienced some huge scares, particularly against the 28th seed Hsieh Su-wei where she was trailing 5-7, 0-3 before recovering to prevail. Kvitova will ride on her confidence and should triumph in this clash of the generations.
Comments