Rise of the underdogs
Kasatkina beats Williams, Osaka stops Halep in semis
INDIAN WELLS: The future is now at the Indian Wells Masters.
Daria Kasatkina upset Venus Williams 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 in a nearly three-hour baseline struggle and Naomi Osaka routed top-ranked Simona Halep 6-3, 6-0 in 64 minutes to set up a final between two 20-year-olds.
“We are coming,” Kasatkina said, smiling. “Very soon.”
Kasatkina was two points from defeat, trailing 4-5 and 0-30 in the third set when Williams committed four straight errors as the Russian tied it five-all.
Williams won just two more points as Kasatkina took the last two games to close out the match in two hours, 48 minutes.
Kasatkina dropped her racquet near the baseline and covered her face with her hands as she walked to the net.
“In one moment you just catch yourself, like, you’re in night session, all crowd, you’re playing against a legend, and you are in the third set,” Kasatkina said.
“You’re just staying on the return, and you’re like, ‘Come on, maybe it’s the moment of your life’.”
It was, for both up-and-comers. Osaka put away Halep on her third match point when the Romanian netted a backhand.
“I saw Dasha. She threw her racquet, right?” Osaka said of Kasatkina’s reaction.
“I was going to be, like, I’m going to be that extra. Maybe I’ll even cry a little bit just to soak it in.
“But I didn’t. I was just sort of more relieved that it was over.”
Ranked 44th, the Japan-born Osaka opened the tournament by beating Maria Sharapova in the first round.
She defeated No. 31 Agnieszka Radwanska and No. 5 Karolina Pliskova on her way to the final, dropping just one set in six matches.
“I feel like there is a new generation,” Osaka said, “and we’re trying to push through”.
Kasatkina has defeated four top20 opponents at the same tournament for the first time in her career.
She owns wins over all four cur- rent Grand Slam titleholders in the last year.
A victory today’s final would move her into the top 10.
After shaking hands, Kasatkina pumped her fists and shook her head slightly as if in disbelief at beating the 37-year-old American and advancing to the biggest final of her young career.
Williams won her first four matches at Indian Wells in straight sets, including a 6-3, 6-4 victory over sister Serena in the third round. The eighth seed was trying to reach the final for the first time in seven appearances in the desert, including a 15-year absence when she and her sister boycotted the event.
Williams had 45 winners – 15 more than Kasatkina – and 63 unforced errors.
“If I don’t win, I’m not happy,” Williams said.
“You don’t get used to losses, ever. Anyone who gets used to losses should give up on life.”