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Agence France-Presse

An emotional Naomi Osaka said that she had atoned for the disappointment of the US Open after beating world number one Ashleigh Barty in the China Open final in Beijing on Sunday.
In the men’s draw, top seed Dominic Thiem recovered from a set down against Stefanos Tsitsipas to claim the 15th singles title of his career.
The 21-year-old Osaka has had a turbulent year, winning the Australian Open but then suffering a dip in form which included exiting Flushing Meadows in the last 16.

But the two-time grand slam champion from Japan surged back to win her home Pan Pacific Open last month and made it back-to-back titles with victory in Beijing.
Osaka defeated teenage US Open champion Bianca Andreescu and then French Open winner Barty on the way to the fifth crown of her young career.
Naomi Osaka buries former coach Sascha Bajin as she breaks silence on split – and it’s no more Miss Nice Girl
Winning in Japan and China had been her aim after the US Open letdown, where she was the defending champion and top seed.
“I don’t want to say I planned [it], but I really meditated on it. It just feels like I accomplished what I set out to do,” she said.

“I didn’t play those two tournaments for myself, I kind of played them for my team because the US Open wasn’t that great and I felt very apologetic.”
But Osaka admitted that she had been driven to tears after going down in the first set to Australia’s Barty, before powering back to win the final 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
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“In the first set all I could think about was how much I wanted to win and I was pretty emotional,” said the former number one, now ranked fourth.
Among the changes after the US Open, the young Japanese brought her father Leonard Francois on board as her coach.

It has proved successful in a short time but Osaka does not see it as a long-term arrangement.
“He doesn’t like watching my matches. I think it stresses him out because he twitches every time I hit a ball,” she smiled.

#SAPGameSetStat: @Naomi_Osaka_ performed well above her own high standards at the @ChinaOpen. @SAPSports pic.twitter.com/JVS8oUP7GQ
— WTA (@WTA) October 6, 2019

The beaten Barty said that her slice shot, a major weapon of the Australian’s, was “nullified” because of the cool conditions in the Chinese capital.
But the top-ranked 23-year-old said: “I’m extremely proud.
“Proud that myself, my team, we turn up for every single tournament, regardless of when it is during the year, what the conditions are like,” said Barty.

The Australian, who took a break from tennis five years ago and played cricket instead, is relishing more showdowns in the future against Osaka and Andreescu, two other major talents.
“I think it’s an exciting opportunity for all three of us,” she said.
Meanwhile, Dominic Thiem won his 15th ATP title after the Austrian defeated Greece’s third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 for the men’s crown.
The 26-year-old beat former world number one Andy Murray on the way to the title and had also booked his spot in the prestigious season-ending ATP Finals.
Thiem strolled to the crown in the deciding set against Tsitsipas, who at 21 is a rising star of men’s tennis.


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Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka savours Beijing title after US Open letdown

Naomi Osaka celebrates winning the China Open with her trophy in Beijing. Photo: EPA

epa07900836 Ashleigh Barty of Australia in action against Naomi Osaka of Japan in their women's singles finals match at the China Open Tennis tournament in Beijing, China, 06 October 2019. EPA-EFE/HOW HWEE YOUNG

epa07900797 Naomi Osaka of Japan celebrates after winning against Ashleigh Barty of Australia in their women’s singles finals match at the China Open Tennis tournament in Beijing, China, 06 October 2019. EPA-EFE/HOW HWEE YOUNG

epa07900838 Naomi Osaka of Japan in action against Ashleigh Barty of Australia in their women's singles finals match at the China Open Tennis tournament in Beijing, China, 06 October 2019. EPA-EFE/HOW HWEE YOUNG

Dominic Thiem of Austria celebrates after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in their men's singles championship match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Sport

Tennis


Japanese ace wins back-to-back titles on her Asia swing as she lifts China Open crown by defeating Ashleigh Barty in the final
Austria’s Dominic Thiem wins the men’s title after coming back from a set down to defeat Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas



Japanese ace wins back-to-back titles on her Asia swing as she lifts China Open crown by defeating Ashleigh Barty in the final while Thiem lifts men’s title
