By Richard Paglaro | @TennisNow | Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Picture credit score: Rob Newell/CameraSport
Naomi Osaka wears headphones for the walk-on and is tuned right into a signature sound throughout play.
The previous world No. 1 returned to her favored laborious courts in Toronto in the present day trying like Naomi Osaka and sounding like Iga Swiatek.
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Osaka sped by means of seven of the final eight video games sweeping two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur 6-3, 6-1 in her Toronto opener.
4-time Grand Slam champion Osaka gained 20 of 26 first-serve factors and didn’t face a break level in a one hour, 11-minute victory.
Afterward, Osaka she’s striving to emulate Swiatek’s squeaky sneaker hold forth the laborious courtroom to maintain as a reminder to maintain her ft energetic.
“I feel throughout these, like the primary few tournaments, I used to be form of counting on, like, my expertise and I assume my, like what I knew till that time, however tennis is evolving and everybody will get higher,” Osaka mentioned. “I actually needed to observe the gamers and be taught from them. I used to be telling you guys final time, however I am actually attempting to, like, do the squeaky ft like Iga, and I feel I did it fairly nicely in the present day, so fortunately that is figuring out.
Transitioning from Roland Garros’ crimson clay the place Osaka misplaced to fellow former world No. 1 Angelique Kerber on the Paris Olympics to Toronto’s blue laborious courtroom is a welcome transition for Osaka, who calls the floor “my treasured laborious courtroom.”
All 4 of Osaka’s Grand Slam titles have come on laborious courtroom and he or she appeared proper at residence in the present day in Toronto taking part in her model of attacking baseline tennis.
“I might say my favourite factor about laborious courtroom, I do not know, it is quick, nevertheless it’s not too quick,” Osaka informed the media in Toronto. “Like, I really feel like on grass it is in some way a bit bit reactive, and I clearly could not get used to that fast sufficient, however on laborious it form of offers me at the very least a second to, I assume, construct up the purpose.
“I additionally really feel like which may even be the explanation why I did higher on clay versus grass, simply because I do fairly like constructing the purpose.”
A powerful facet of Osaka’s win over Jabeur in the present day was her first-serve proportion was solely 45 p.c, however she backed her second serve solidly profitable 58 p.c of second-serve factors.
Subsequent up for Osaka is Elise Mertens, who defeated Katie Volynets 6-3, 6-1.
