Serena Sets up S’final Clash with Osaka
Serena Williams produced a stunning performance to beat second seed Simona Halep and set up an Australian Open semi-final with Naomi Osaka.
The 39-year-old American, bidding for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title, won 6-3 6-3 against the Romanian.
“I think this is the best match I’ve played this tournament,” said Williams, who moved well and hit 24 winners.
Earlier yesterday, Osaka cruised past Hsieh Su-wei in just 66 minutes to reach the last four.
The Japanese third seed, who won the second of her three Grand Slam titles at Melbourne Park in 2019, beat the Taiwanese 6-2 6-2.
Now Osaka will face 10th seed Williams - a seven-time champion in Melbourne - on Thursday for a place in Saturday’s final.
It will be the first meeting between the pair since their infamous 2018 US Open final.
That saw Osaka win her maiden major title after Williams accused umpire Carlos Ramos of being a “thief” in some of the most dramatic scenes at a Grand Slam final.
After her victory, Osaka said she would be tuning in to the match between Williams and Halep because she “always” watched the American’s games.
What Osaka will have seen is a player who looks fitter and more focused than she has in recent years. And, on this evidence against reigning Wimbledon champion Halep, will surely offer a stern examination of the Japanese player’s credentials as the tournament favourite.
Williams has lost her past four Grand Slam finals - including the 2018 US Open to Osaka and against Halep at Wimbledon in 2019 - as she attempted to land that elusive 24th major title which would pull her level with Australian Margaret Court.
The beaming smile which greeted victory, along with her excited demeanour in the on-court interview, indicates Williams is in a relaxed mood at Melbourne Park. That could prove dangerous for the rest of the field, says former British number one Laura Robson.
“We’ve seen before she might get stressed or overwhelmed but she looks like a different person. She is looking like a champion out there,” Robson said in her role as an analyst on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra.
Looking fired up but coolly executing her shots, Williams started quickly with a break of serve to lead 2-0 before Halep showed her trademark resilience to wipe out the early deficit.
Williams continued to find angles with powerful returning, allowing her to quickly reassert authority and break again for a 4-2 lead before serving out for the opening set.
Whether Williams would be able to maintain such a high level in the second set - against one of the best movers in the game - was the next question.
Initially it looked like she might not be able to.
Williams dipped at the start of the second set, regularly stopping to stare at her strings as unforced errors and a double fault helped Halep break for a 2-0 lead.
But, after the pair exchanged three more breaks, Williams mentally reset to rattle off the final five games and clinch an impressive victory.
“I realised I was making a lot of unforced errors in the games I lost and knew I had an opportunity to play better,” said Williams, who reached the 40th Grand Slam semi-final of her career.
“I stayed in there and kept going.
“I think this is the best match I played this tournament, obviously I had to going against number two in the world. I knew I had to do better, I did and I’m excited.”
models for tomorrow’s leaders if we did not Housing, and Transportation as the primary erect before them someone like Jakande. So we needs of Lagosians and pursuing the provision It’s easy to celebrate extraordinary personage. honored him in the LWT Tribute Colloquium of such with great assiduousness even if with But what is more important is to flatter them Series. He and Dr. Alex Ekwueme have been unconventional approaches in some cases. by imitating them appropriately. I am tempted held up as the only examples from the political I was in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia the therefore to ask of the politicians pouring class, for young people, in the 10 years of the day the metro rail was launched there in 1997 encomiums on the late Governor of Lagos LWT Tribute Series. and I actually wept because Lagos would State, Alhaji Lateef K. Jaakande, who among I thought that useful because as a young have been way ahead, had the disruptive them can make the effort to be like him. That person looking for role models from the ranks military intervention of December 1983 not is where the rubber meets the road. of statesmen, I found worthy of such from the set us so far back. Worse still I was pained
I knew Alhaji Jakande. He knew also that I immediate post-independence era Dr. Michael by the fact that it was built by a company genuinely regarded him highly. When I looked (MI) Okpara and Chief Obafemi Awolowo. that had to leave Nigeria, Taylor Woodrow. at Nigeria’s broken National Honor system In many ways, Alhaji Lateef Jakande was the But it was classic visionary Jakande that the with the many crooks on the Honor roll I Elisha that followed Elijah Obafemi Awolowo. government of 1984 set out to rubbish at great thought we should create something young I was therefore quite comfortable with the cost to the country. people could model themselves on. The result appellation of Babakekere to his name as the I knew Jakande beyond the Lagos stewardship. was the Leader Without Title (LWT) Honor Awo heir apparent. Before he became Governor in 1979 he had Colloquium Series. But the time I had for the former Lagos State served as Government appointed Chairman
We at CVL, the home of the LWT Tribute Governor traversed political life. His simplicity, of IMB, the International Merchant Bank that Series, were careful to avoid honoring politicians integrity, and focus may have come through with entered Nigeria as First National Bank of Chicago because the flavor of the moment is to celebrate his use of his personal car, a Toyota Crown for after the nationalization of banks in 1976. politicians with access to public resources and official duties as Governor when his colleagues The Bank Directors of the time who were power to dole out favours. We have been careful went for the super-luxury Mercedes Benz trying to get their share of the national cake to avoid honoring politicians, especially from models; his continuing to live in his home in and national enjoyment ensured most board r6UPNJ 1PMJUJDBM &DPOPNJTU BOE 1SPGFTTPS the brood with little sense of service. But we Ilupeju instead of moving into Lagos house on meetings took place abroad. But LKJ kept IMB PG &OUSFQSFOFVSTIJQ JT GPVOEFS PG UIF $FOUSF could not do a good job of setting up role Marina; and in clearly recognizing Education, board meetings in Lagos and sort no pecuniary GPS 7BMVFT JO -FBEFSTIJQT Printed and Published in Lagos by 35 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. Plot 1, Sector Centre B, Jabi Business District, Solomon Lar Way, Jabi North East, Abuja . All Correspondence to POBox 54749, Ikoyi, Lagos. editor@thisdaylive.com, info@thisdaylive.com. 0802 2924721-2, 08022924485. Tel: 08155555292, 08155555929
0811 181 3085 0811 181 3086, 0811 181 3087, 0811 181 3088, 0811 181 3089, 0811 181 3090. adsbooking@thisdaylive.com benefits, nor harass the management for rent opportunities. That gave room for the Managing Director, Ebitimi Banigo, to build one of the biggest Merchant Banks in Nigeria. My 1995 case study; The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of IMB chronicles the track of this journey of integrity and commitment to the Common Good.
As he had impact in Politics and Corporate Governance so did he in Journalism and the printing and publishing business. Our world is certainly diminished by his loss but the effect of his work assures his name has become a non-perishable item.
The real question is how does a people immortalize such legend and preserve his values for generations not yet born to learn from, especially when they do not teach history.
To make up for this lacuna the CVL last year began the fortnightly Nigeria History Series on Zoom and Instagram. It is a big pity we had yet to have Babakekere as guest on the series before we lost him to the ages