The US Open 2020 final will be a repeat of the ‘Cincinnati’ Open as two-time Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka and Victoria Azarenka face off in the title-decider on Saturday, September 12. The match begins at around 3.30 pm local time (8.30 pm BST). Get the live streaming options of this Naomi Osaka v Victoria Azarenka match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
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Latest Osaka v Azarenka Live Scores & Updates
First Set (Azarenka 6-1)
- Azarenka 1-0: Azarenka wins the opening game by breaking Osaka to 30.
- Azarenka 2-0: An easy hold for Azarenka, who gets all her first serves in. Wins to love.
- Azarenka 2-1: Osaka gets a better service game in and wins her first game. Still a break down though.
- Azarenka 3-1: No respite for Osaka as Azarenka unleashes some powerful groundstrokes to hold to 15.
- Azarenka 4-1: Another break-point for Azarenka and she breaks immediately to make it her second break.
- Azarenka 5-1: Osaka takes Azarenka to deuce on the Belarusian serve but unforced errors keep mounting for the 2018 champion and she loses another game in the end.
- Azarenka 6-1: It’s a struggle again for Osaka as a backhand winner takes Azarenka to deuce and another unforced error gives the Belarusian a set-point. She converts it immediately to win the first set in double quick time!
Second Set (Osaka 6-3)
- Azarenka 1-0: Azarenka pouches the first game of the second set again, this time off her own serve. Osaka will have to start holding on to serve to remain in this match.
- Azarenka 2-0: Another break of serve for Azarenka, who goes 2-0 up with that. Osaka faced two break-points and while she saved the first with an ace, she was broken soon after.
- Azarenka 2-1: Bit of an opening for Osaka at 30-30 and then at deuce. She finally gets a chance to break, getting her first break-point in the match, and then converts it to pull one back. Relief all around.
- Osaka 2-2: Finally we see Osaka hold on to her serve to level the score. She was in bit of a trouble at 30-30 but comes through in the end.
- Azarenka 3-2: A strong service game leads to a relatively easy service hold for Azarenka.
- Osaka 3-3: A very solid, confidence-inducing hold for Osaka helps level the set.
- Osaka 4-3: Osaka breaks! That is the first time she holds a lead in either set, Osaka and it’s a break at 15.
- Osaka 5-3: Things were getting slightly hot but Osaka sees through to the hold to reach a game away from winning the set. How things have changed!
- Osaka 6-3: That was the longest game of the match, with multiple deuces and Osaka having a chance to break Azarenka on a couple of occasions. She wins the set off her second set-point, taking it to a decider.
Third Set (Osaka 6-3)
- Osaka 1-0: An easy hold for Osaka to 15 to go 1-0 up in the final set. The confidence is back and how.
- Azarenka 1-1: Some worries for Azarenka there but she holds on to her serve to level the score. Could be a humdinger ahead of us.
- Osaka 2-1: A relatively comfortable hold for Osaka, whose confidence is now back. And even the net cords are favouring her at the moment.
- Osaka 3-1: What a moment! Osaka has broken the serve in the third set and the momentum is fully with her at this stage. Does Azarenka have anything left in her tank?
- Osaka 4-1: Azarenka, who looked down and out last game, had three break-points in that game but Osaka responds with solid serving and wins five points in a row to pocket the set.
- Osaka 4-2: Azarenka in a huge spot of bother as she faces multiple break-points. The writing seems to be on the wall for the Belarusian but she fights back to take the game and push the ball back in her opponent’s court. Serve it out, she seems to be saying.
- Osaka 4-3: It was turning out to be an easy hold for Osaka but Azarenka hits two winners down the line to take it to deuce. She then takes the next two points to break back out of nowhere. Wow. This ain’t over yet.
- Osaka 5-3: And broken back! Osaka breaks Azarenka back immediately from 30-30 to get a chance to serve it out and win her second US Open.
- Osaka 6-3: Osaka wins! A fighting performance from the Japanese to come back from a set and 2-0 down in the second set to win her second US Open title.
Naomi Osaka v Victoria Azarenka Head to Head
There have been three previous matches between Osaka and Azarenka with the Cincinnati Open expected to be the fourth before the Japanese world number one pulled out of the encounter because of her injury. Osaka leads 2-1, having beaten Azarenka both times on clay – at the 2019 French Open and 2018 WTA Madrid.
Azarenka’s only win over Osaka came at the 2016 Australian Open, and it was a 6-1, 6-1 drubbing of Osaka.
Also Read:
Osaka Quells off Brady
It was not the first time at the US Open this year did Osaka face a challenging opponent, who made things difficult for her. And despite not being at her best throughout the match, the Japanese number one threw back enough at Jennifer Brady to scoop up a semifinal win on Thursday.
Osaka was a 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-3 winner in a cagey match that saw just six breakpoints and two breaks of serve in total but one that saw fortunes fluctuate right through out the two hours and eight minutes they were on court.
After the first set went on serve, with neither player getting close to breaking the other’s serve, Osaka raced off in the tie-breaker to clinch it 7-1. Not to be outdone, Brady got her first chance to get the better of the Osaka serve in the second set, and she did so in the eighth game.
Brady held on to level the set and even as fans wondered if she would continue her giant-killing run, Osaka got an early break in the third. The American fought valiantly but the world number nine held on to that precious break and completed the win.
It came on the back of victories over Anett Kontaveit and Shelby Rogers in the previous two rounds, both of which were straight-set victories. She had done something similar at the Cincinnati Open too, beaten Kontaveit and Elise Mertens to make the final before pulling out because of a hamstring trouble.
Can she now complete the job and add to her US Open title list?
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Azarenka Stuns Serena in Comeback Win
Azarenka had dropped just one game in her quarterfinal win over Elise Mertens. Mertens was an in-form player, not a pushover by any chance but Azarenka overpowered her in a manner reminiscent of some of her best wins from the past.
Which is why when she was broken thrice in the first set to fall flat and lose it 6-1 to Serena Williams in the semifinal, it not only came across as a surprise but also provided an insight into how difficult it is to maintain that level of performance day in and out. That’s something Serena has done over the years and that’s how those 23 Grand Slam titles have been pouched.
And a 24th looked like it was on the way, or at least a finals berth was for Serena when Azarenka collapsed the way she did in that first set.
Azarenka, however, has endured a lot off the court. A poor opening set was never going to push her back and that fighting spirit came to the fore in the second set. Down 0-1 in the second, and facing a break-point as well, Azarenka rallied to clinch a break of serve and then won the set off the second of those.
Then in the third, taking advantage of Serena’s ankle issue, she made the American run around in a manner that was so missing in the first set. Once she had a break of serve in the final set too, Azarenka never lost her own serve and completed a stunning win to make it to the final.
After the Cincinnati Open title win, after she had made the final but got a walkover from Osaka, Azarenka had noted she deserved that victory. If someone had any doubts then, one can rest assure, those would have vanished by now because she definitely deserves to be in the final of this one.
It’s a different matter if she can get past a lot fitter Osaka.
Osaka v Azarenka Prediction & Tip
Never discount out Azarenka but Osaka is 8/13 to win this and the title and we are tipping her to take this. You could also look at the games market in this one with the two fighting players expected to tussle it out in a final that hopefully lives up to its top billing unlike the previous two title-deciders at Flushing Meadows.
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The US Open 2020 will be played from August 31 to September 13. You can watch & bet on the US Open here. Get your latest premium tennis predictions here.
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