Osaka ushers in new generation
HUMBLE: SERENA STILL THE FACE OF WOMEN’S GAME
Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka said she felt comfortable being a role model for the next generation after her fourth Grand Slam victory solidified her position at the forefront of a new era for tennis.
But the Japanese star, a fourtime major winner at the age of just 23, insisted America’s Serena Williams, 39 – who has 23 Slam crowns – remains the face of the women’s game.
Osaka beat America’s Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3 in the Australian Open final on Saturday to win her fourth Slam from the last eight in which she has played, and extend her year-plus winning streak to 21 matches.
She joins Monica Seles and Roger Federer in winning her first four major finals, and will move up to second in the world rankings.
Her sweeping triumph was viewed as heralding a shift in women’s tennis with Australia’s Fed Cup captain Alicia Molik declaring it a “changing of the guard”, while the New Yorker said Osaka was the “most thrilling athlete of her generation”.
Osaka brushed aside Williams in the semis, after also beating her in the stormy 2018 US Open final to win her first major.
But when asked if she was now taking over from Williams as the game’s leading light, Osaka replied: “No, not at all,” adding that she simply wanted to remain true to herself.
“I have learned on and off the court it’s okay to not be sure about yourself,” she said.
“I’m more at peace with where I am, and I’m honestly just happy to be playing a Grand Slam in a pandemic.”
After winning her second Australian
Open title, Osaka spent a lengthy time signing autographs for fans in a gesture that received widespread applause on social media.
Having once grappled with fame as a shy youngster, a content Osaka said she was still “growing as a person” but hoped to provide inspiration to young players.
“In the past I felt it as a very strong responsibility, but was also very scared and nervous,
“It’s a really big honour that there are little kids that like me,
that come to my matches and cheer for me.
“But at the same time, I don’t weigh it too heavily on myself.”
A more mature Osaka says she gained greater perspective during the coronavirus shutdown and now appreciated the difficulty of winning a Grand Slam.
“I feel like I know how much hard work you have to put into this, I was just a kid,” she said, referring to her wins at the 2018 US Open and 2019 Australian Open. –
– Juergen Klopp (above) slammed Liverpool’s sloppy defending after Everton won at Anfield for the first time since 1999 with a 2-0 victory in Saturday’s Merseyside derby.
Klopp’s side were punished for mistakes at the back by Ozan Kabak and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Kabak was caught out by Richarlison for Everton’s third minute opener and Alexander-Arnold conceded the 83rd minute penalty converted by Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Liverpool have lost four successive leagues games at Anfield for the first time since 1923 and Reds boss Klopp had no excuses for the troubled champions’ latest flop.
“It is (tough to take) but we conceded this early goal which was completely unnecessary and have to defend it better,” he said.
Klopp was also frustrated by Liverpool’s failure to take the chances that came their way in a typically frantic derby.
“We had to chase the game and did it well creative-wise, we created some in the first half and even more in the second half, but we did not finish our situations off,” he said.
“We made one mistake in the first half and they used it, I don’t like to talk today about the good stuff because we lost the game and we feel that deeply, I have to use it tomorrow and it is our lifeline to keep going.
“We have to improve on the finishing stuff and then we will win football games.”
Liverpool have now lost four in a row in the league and sit three points adrift of the top four after a first defeat against Everton since 2010.
Missing out on Champions League qualification would be an incredible fall from grace after they won the title for the first time in 30 years last term.
“Decisive margins, to score a goal you have to create a situation and finish it off,” Klopp said.
“There is no alternative but to keep going. You concede, which is not cool, lose Jordan Henderson, which is not cool, and I feel the boys dealt with it quite well, “We stand here having lost 2-0. I know how important it is. We feel it deep inside. But from here on, I have to use all the good stuff.
“These good situations are the guarantee that we can change it but the decisive moments we have to change as well.”
The potentially long-term injury to Henderson is the latest fitness blow for Klopp, who is already having to make do without Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Fabinho. –