World No. 2 Naomi Osaka will go head to head with the 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in the quarterfinal of the 2019 Rogers Cup on Friday in Toronto. This sensational match will start at 7:00 pm local time (12:00 am BST the next day). Get Serena Williams v Naomi Osaka live streaming options with the preview here.
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Naomi Osaka v Serena Williams Head to Head
Osaka holds a 2-0 lead over Williams, last defeating her in the final of the 2018 US Open, where she claimed her maiden Grand Slam title.
Williams, on a Roll
It has been quite a long time since fans got to witness Serena Williams in this great of a form. Following her struggles with injury and illness, the former World No. 1 was compelled to spend some time off the courts and consequently, has had a rather quiet season.
In the few events that she has participated in, she holds a strike-rate of 15-4 with her last run coming in the Wimbledon, where she was the runner-up. She lost to Simona Halep in the final there, making it one of the three instances where she lost to a top-10 player.
But on the bright side, that run at the SW19 was her single best run of the season and unarguably, it was truly in line with what Williams is all about – raw power, a bolstering forehand, and of course, determination. If anything, that run helped her regain her confidence and put her right in the contention for the US Open crown.
It has been business as usual for Williams in Toronto as well. In the opener, she moved past Elise Mertens in straight sets and later, repeated a similar result against Ekaterina Alexandrova too.
Osaka, Relishing this Chance to Play Williams
Even though Osaka’s form has dropped gradually over the course of the last few tournaments, she will still be happy with the opportunity to play her childhood idol once again. By the looks of it, Osaka is more than excited to play Williams in this high-octane quarterfinal.
But whether she will win is a whole different question. Since winning the Australian Open, the 21-year-old Japanese has made it to only one semifinal in Stuttgart and had quarterfinal runs in Madrid and Rome. In the French Open, she fell in the third round to Katerina Siniakova and incurred early losses in Birmingham and London too.
However, in the Canadian Open, she has been a lot better. Being in contention for World No. 1 crown again, she has so far defeated Tatjana Maria and Iga Swiatek in straight sets. But then again, these were fairly easy opponents and her true test will be against Williams.
Williams v Osaka Prediction & Tips
Right off the bat, it is safe to assume that this will go into three sets. Williams has already lost to Osaka twice and will do everything in her power to avoid that result again. Plus, the poor form of Japanese will certainly assist her in getting that much-needed win here. On the flipside, Osaka knows how to face Serena and can very well shift into that mode to reach the semis. All in all, we have a blockbuster affair here.
Tip: Three sets in the match. (888Sport)
You can watch & bet on Williams v Osaka on Friday, August 9 here . Get the latest tennis predictions and tips here.
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