Australian Open: Naomi Osaka thrashes Hsieh Su-wei to reach semi-finals
- The Japanese world number three forces quick match with Taiwanese veteran Hsieh
- Osaka, the 2019 champion, will face Serena Williams or former world number one Simona Halep
The brute force of Naomi Osaka crushed the artistry of Hsieh Su-wei as the Japanese former champion charged into the Australian Open semi-finals with a 6-2, 6-2 win on Tuesday.
On a warm and muggy day in Melbourne, third seed Osaka attacked Hsieh’s weak serve with gusto and the Taiwanese giant-killer quickly wilted under the pressure in her grand slam quarter-final debut.
“I was pretty calm. I’m really happy how I played today,” said 2019 champion Osaka, who hit 24 winners in a dominant display lasting just 66 minutes against her 35-year-old opponent.
Osaka, 23, will play either 23-time grand slam winner Serena Williams or world number two Simona Halep for a place in Saturday’s final.
“I normally never look at my draw but everyone’s told me about it here,” said the three-time grand slam champion.
“I always watch Serena’s matches. It’s definitely going to be a lot of fun.”
Osaka scrambled superbly to chase down the improbable angles conjured by her opponent’s double-handed, double-sided game, and she raced through the final set, sealing the win on the third match point when an overwhelmed Hsieh pushed a defensive shot long.
Additional reporting Agence France-Presse
