Naomi Osaka overturned a set and a break deficit in the second set to complete a three-set victory over Victoria Azarenka to help her clinch the 2020 US Open.
The Japanese number one won 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in a manner not too different from how Azarenka had overturned a poor start in the semifinal against Serena Williams. The match lasted an hour and 53 minutes.
This followed Osaka’s titles wins at the US Open in 2018 and the Australian Open last year.
Soaking it all in ? pic.twitter.com/YkAzTD5Mn2
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 12, 2020
The first set was all one-way traffic as Azarenka raced off to a break of serve in the very first game and consolidated that by breaking Osaka yet again in fifth game of the set.
The Japanese number one tried to force her way back in the next game by pushing her opponent to a deuce but Azarenka held on and added a third break of serve to take home the set 6-1 in just 26 minutes.
When Azarenka held on to her serve in the first game of the second set and then broke Osaka to take a 2-0 lead, it looked like we were in for a repeat of the previous couple of US Open finals, both of which had ended being one-sided in front of the packed Flushing Meadows.
This time, however, things turned out to be different.
Osaka responded to the 2-0 deficit with a break of her own and from there on did not look back. She levelled the set 2-2 and while Azarenka added another game to her tally that set, Osaka reeled off the next four games to win the set.
By now, Azarenka had lost not just momentum but the consistency of her game looked to have deteriorated too. Osaka’s power and a return to rhythm meant it took her just the fourth game of the third set to break the Belarusian serve and hold on to make it 4-1.
Azarenka had her chance in that fifth game when Osaka fell behind 0-40 but the fourth seed ran off with five points in a row to pocket the game.
And when Osaka got the early break in the third set, it looked like the writing was on the wall for Azarenka. The Belarusian had shown, however, in the semifinal and in the matches before that, she could fight and fight she did.
At 3-1 down, Azarenka first had three break-points on Osaka’s serve but the Japanese rattled off five points in a row to win the game. Azarenka held on to her serve next game despite being a few break-points down on her and then came back from 40-15 down on Osaka’s serve to break her.
Unfortunately for her, that remained the extent of her fightback, as Osaka broke Azarenka back immediately and then won the next game to complete the victory in three sets.
Alexander Zverev faces Dominic Thiem in the men’s singles final on Sunday.
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