Brady test for fancied Osaka

MUMBAI: Whichever way you may want to look at it—on paper, reputation or current form— three-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka can wear the favourite tag with some degree of assurance on Saturday when she plays maiden Slam finalist Jennifer Brady. However, women’s tennis has lately taken a deeper liking to the heartwarming underdog story.

Four of the last six women’s singles Grand Slam champions have been first-time finalists— Iga Swiatek (2020 French Open), Sofia Kenin (2020 Australian Open), Bianca Andreescu (2019 US Open) Ashleigh Barty (2019 French Open). The first three on this list became champions by beating fancier and more seasoned opponents, something world No 24 Brady has been accustomed to doing since the beginning of 2020.

Getting into the WTA Brisbane International quarter-finals as a qualifier in January, the 25-year-old American defeated former world No 1 Maria Sharapova and current No. 1 Barty. Brady carried that to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where, again as a qualifier, she stunned third seed Elina Svitolina, Vondrousova and twotime Slam champion Muguruza to storm into the semi-finals.

After tennis resumed in August, Brady won the WTA Lexington title in August (her first at the WTA level) and made the semi-finals of the US Open.

Straight out of hard quarantine, Brady entered the semi-final of the WTA warm-up event in the week leading up to the 2021 Australian Open, in which she enjoyed straight-sets wins in the first four rounds. With Svitolina and Barty upset by Jessica Pegula and Karolina Muchova, respectively, Brady’s task was made less challenging in the quarter and semi-finals.

The third seeded Japanese will thus be a big step up for Brady. Osaka possesses the same weapons as Brady, even more polished and dangerous as she showed in her semi-final thrashing of Serena Williams. The 23-year-old has only thrice made it past the fourth round of a Grand Slam but when she does, she goes the full distance.

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