Hampered by knee, Osaka loses to Bencic
NEW YORK (AP) — Naomi Osaka’s achy left knee didn’t let her serve without pain, so she didn’t practice that key part of her game leading into the U.S. Open. The knee also prevented her from covering the court and preparing for shots the way she’d like.
Those weren’t the only reasons that the No. 1-seeded Osaka’s 10-match winning streak at the U.S. Open and title defense ended Monday in the fourth round. Belinda Bencic’s clean, crisp strokes, struck with the ball still on the rise, contributed plenty to the outcome, too.
Osaka joined 2018 men’s champion Novak Djokovic on the sideline before the quarterfinals, exiting with a 7-5, 6-4 loss to the 13th-seeded Bencic under a closed roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium on a rainy afternoon. Djokovic stopped playing in his fourth-rounder Sunday night because of a problematic left shoulder.
“I honestly didn’t move well today. You know what I mean? I felt like I was always flat-footed. … The knee was a little bit annoying in the movement aspect,” Osaka said. “But I think that that’s something I should have overcome.”
As for her powerful serve, Osaka called it “inconsistent,” saying she hadn’t been working on it coming into the year’s last Grand Slam tournament “because I can’t really land on my leg that great.”
Osaka has been wearing a black sleeve on the knee and was given a pain-killing pill by a trainer midway through the second set Monday.
By then, Bencic was up a set and a break, employing a quick-strike style of taking balls early and snapping them back, rushing Osaka and not leaving her not enough time to respond. It worked before: Bencic is now 3-0 against Osaka in 2019.
“I don’t have the biggest power. Don’t have the most winners or most aces. But I think I can really read the opponent’s game well,” said Bencic, who will face No. 23 Donna Vekic of Croatia in the quarterfinals. “I definitely try to do that against anyone, not only against her.”
Bencic finished with far more winners, 29, than unforced errors, 12, and showed once again that she is a big-match player. She owns a tour-leading nine victories over top10 opponents in 2019 and is 4-1 for her career against top-ranked players.
Osaka made her breakthrough at Flushing Meadows a year ago, winning her first major championship by beating Serena Williams in a chaotic final that devolved after Williams got into an extended argument with the chair umpire.
Osaka followed that up with a second consecutive Grand Slam trophy at the Australian Open in January. That allowed her to become the first tennis player representing Japan to reach No. 1 in the rankings.
This loss means that Osaka will cede that top spot to No. 2 Ash Barty, who lost her fourth-round match Sunday.
“Right now, I have this feeling of sadness,” said Osaka, who lost in the third round at the French Open and first round at Wimbledon, “but I also feel like I have learned so much during this tournament. Honestly, of course, I wanted to defend this tournament.”
Inspired Nadal has ‘idol’ Tiger roaring at US Open
NEW YORK (AFP) — Rafael Nadal called Tiger Woods an “amazing inspiration” as the Spaniard had the golf superstar roaring with approval during a majestic U.S. Open performance on Monday.
The 18-time Grand Slam champion advanced to the quarter-final of a major for the 40th time in his glittering career with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Croatia’s Marin Cilic.
But it was the reaction of Woods, a winner of 15 golf majors, to an assortment of sensational Nadal winners during a crucial section of the match that caught the eye at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
A blistering cross-court backhand passing winner off a Cilic overhead elicited a fired-up fist-pump from Woods, who was equally appreciate of an outrageous round-the-netpost forehand that brought up match point.
“It means a lot to me to have him supporting. As I said, he’s an amazing inspiration, all the things that he accomplish in the sport, the way that he managed to keep fighting that hard,” Nadal said.
“Watching him on the golf course, has been an example, a real inspiration for me. (To) have him supporting and be able to be in touch with him very often for me is something that I am super happy and I hope one day we can play golf and tennis together.”
Nadal, who like Woods has endured more than his fair share of injury nightmares, looked healthy and hungry at Flushing Meadows, where he is chasing a fourth U.S. Open title after 2010, 2013 and 2017.
“The emotions I have when I play here are impossible to describe. I love the sport and feel very lucky to still be playing tennis here.”