Australian Open 2022: Defending women's champion Naomi Osaka suffers Round 3 upset; netizens in despair
Naomi Osaka was the defending champion of the 2022 Australian Open. He lost to Amanda Anisimova in a three-setter. Consequently, netizens expressed their unhappiness at the same.
FollowDefending champion Naomi Osaka's unstable form continued at the Australian Open 2022. On Friday, she was knocked out in Round 3 of the tournament by Amanda Anisimova of the United States of America. It was a thrilling three-setter match, as the reigning world number 13 lost 6-4, 4-6, 6-7 (5-10).
Anisimova started shakily in the opening game of the first set, as she conceded a couple of double faults to give Osaka an early break. However, in the second set, the American hit 15 winners to push the Japanese onto the backfoot. The final set was intense and went into the tie-break, as Anisimova went up 3-0 and later extended the lead to 9-5 before a strong forehand sealed a 10-5 win and her place in the pre-quarters, where she takes on former champion Ashleigh Barty of Australia.
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Although Anisimova is ranked 60th, her talent is sure to deceive the ranking. In 2019, her father's demise rattled her. It saw a slump in her form, sending her down from 21 to outside 90. However, she has been on her way back for the past few months, and it is only a matter of time before she enters the race for the top ten.
"I'm speechless. I love playing in Melbourne. Honestly, it's so much fun. I mean, I can't stop smiling even though I should be serious. I can't help smiling at some of the stuff you guys say sometimes. Going into this match, I knew I had to be playing sharp if I wanted to give myself a chance. Naomi is always going to be playing well. She's an absolute champion," said Anisimova following her win.
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"Honestly, stepping on to the court, all I'm thinking about is having fun. Every single day here is just an amazing experience and opportunity for me. I'm so grateful to be playing on this court. I'm just having fun, and getting on the win on this day is a huge bonus. I'm just looking forward to my next round," concluded Anisimova.
