US Open champion Osaka’s winning run ended in Pacific final

Naomi Osaka’s winning run came to an end as she fell to former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova in the final of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.

Thenewly-crownedusopen champion, who was bidding to become the first Japanese winner of the event since 1995, succumbed 6-4, 6-4 in a battle of two big servers. It ended Osaka’s ten-match winning streak and handed Pliskova – currently ranked eighth, one place below Osaka – the 11th major tour title of her career.

Osaka served notice of her intentions as she started the match with a huge ace but a netted backhand in her third service game handed Pliskova the crucial break. The second set continued in the same direction with both servers on top until Pliskova pounced in

0 Naomi Osaka: Defeated.

game nine, breaking her opponent to love and giving her the chance to serve out for the title.

Kiki Bertens fought back from a break down in the deciding set to beat Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia and claim her third title of the year at the Korea Open in Seoul.

The Dutch second seed rallied after losing the opening two games of the decisive set, eventually winning 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-2 in two hours and 22 minutes.

Dominic Thiem claimed the 11th ATP World Tour title of his career with a comfortable vic- tory over Martin Klizan in the final of the St Petersburg Open.

Thiem had lost all three of his previous matches against Klizan, but the top seed had no such trouble yesterday as he eased to a 6-3, 6-1 victory in just 68 minutes.

In Metz, Frenchman Gilles Simon delighted the home crowd by claiming the Moselle Open title for the third time in nine years, beating German qualifier Matthias Bachinger 7-6 (7/2), 6-1.