- 11,212
- 4,507
- 229
Whacking the cover off a tennis ball was once Plan A, B and C for Naomi Osaka but the hard-hitting US Open champion has been trying to add dimensions to her game as she searches for a second consecutive Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. The fourth seed has had to mix things up during a grinding progression to the last eight at Melbourne Park and needed to rally from a set behind for a second match in succession to beat 13th seed Anastasija Sevastova 4-6 6-3 6-4 on Monday.
The Japanese player next meets sixth seed Elina Svitolina for a place in the semi-finals. Osaka is one of the fiercest shot-makers in the game, as Serena Williams found to her cost in the final at Flushing Meadows, but the 21-year-old has also thrown more drop-shots into her game and is less wary about approaching the net.
The refinements have made her a better problem-solver when under pressure, and helped in the course of overhauling Sevastova and third round opponent Hsieh Su-wei, according to her coach Sascha Bajin.
The Japanese player next meets sixth seed Elina Svitolina for a place in the semi-finals. Osaka is one of the fiercest shot-makers in the game, as Serena Williams found to her cost in the final at Flushing Meadows, but the 21-year-old has also thrown more drop-shots into her game and is less wary about approaching the net.
The refinements have made her a better problem-solver when under pressure, and helped in the course of overhauling Sevastova and third round opponent Hsieh Su-wei, according to her coach Sascha Bajin.