Naomi Osaka v Jennifer Brady 2021 Australian Open final to be played on Saturday, February 20. Get regular updates in this live blog & streaming options on this women’s singles final from Melbourne Park as they face off to decide who takes on Novak Djokovic in the title-decider.
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Other Naomi Osaka v Jennifer Brady Match Details
- Match Timing: 7.30 pm AEDT (3.30 am Eastern Time, 9 am GMT, 5.30 pm Tokyo time, 2 pm IST)
- Osaka v Brady Predictions & Tips Here
- Live Streaming & TV Options Here
- Top Osaka v Brady Betting Odds with BetUS Here
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Naomi Osaka v Jennifer Brady Live Score
Osaka 6-4, 6-3 Brady (* denotes next server, please refresh for the latest score)
Live Updates
Osaka overcomes a late Brady resurgence in the first set and some fight late in the second to register an easy, 6-4, 6-3 win in a mere hour and 19 minutes and win her second Australian Open title.
Set 2, Game 9
Pin-point accuracy from Osaka on her serve leaves Brady wrong-footed and soon a forehand error from the American allows her opponent to take a 30-0 lead. Brady wants to go after the Osaka second serve to give herself a chance but blasts it too long, her 29th unforced error, and when she is unable to keep her return in off the next point, it’s game, set, match, championships Osaka!
Set 2, Game 8
Brady needs her first serves going here in this clutch game but she misses her first one and Osaka takes toll of her second serve, pushing home a winner. Another miss from Brady but this time she is able to keep herself in the rally before knocking out a winner.
Osaka hits one long off Brady’s loopy second serve, but the American suddenly does something similar, an unforced error trying to force the point. Brady pulls out an excellent shot to the Osaka return after that only for the Japanese to trade a similar blow to make it deuce.
Another second serve from Brady makes Osaka want to go for a winner but she finds the net as the American soon closes out the game. Osaka will serve for the match.
Set 2, Game 7
Boom, boom, two strong serves takes Osaka to 30-0. A quality rally, 16-shots long, follows soon after in which Osaka then hits the net cord which takes it out but the world number three then gets back to her winning way with another brilliant serve.
An excellent defensive play from Brady ends up like that 16-shot rally, with Osaka managing to find the net cord, and it goes out again. Still a second game-point remains and Osaka converts that via a Brady error who was looking to force a winner off the forehand.
Brady will now serve to stay in the match.
Set 2, Game 6
Strong serving gets Brady on the board to kick things off in the game and a second such serve gets her to the net to finish off the point easily. Osaka has a chance to pull one back but misses an easy pass, hitting it long and Brady remains alive by holding it to love.
One of her best serving games from Brady.
Set 2, Game 5
It’s getting all too predictable from Brady, who is losing points to unforced errors, attempting brute strength. Wins a point but again goes 30-15 down as she struggles to control her aggressive groundstrokes.
Because when she does, off the next point, Brady does manage to force Osaka into finding the net. 30-30.
Osaka serves out a looping second serve which Brady responds to but sets up an easy backhand winner for the Japanese. Down 30-40, Brady finally finds her bearings with her forehand, hitting three of them of which she wins the point off the last one.
A sudden change in pace from Brady, a moonball of sorts lands in and a surprises Osaka into making an error, but the American misses out on the break-point as her sliced backhand goes wide. Second deuce.
Brady then defends in an excellent manner at the baseline, leaving Osaka in strife, who the pumps a backhand straight into the net. Brady has broken back once.
Set 2, Game 4
Brady begins with a quick serve that Osaka has no reply for but two points later, she is back in trouble down 15-30. With the first serve deserting her again, a 24th unforced error awards Osaka two break-points, and the 25th gives Osaka her second break.
This could be all over very quickly.
Set 2, Game 3
Easy going for Osaka who races off to a 40-0 lead without breaking into any (figurative) sweat, but a double-fault and some big hitting from Brady gets the American two of the game-points back. Osaka isn’t done yet, as she drills down an ace to finish off the game.
Set 2, Game 2
A wayward forehand in the middle of the rally is followed by a forehand error, hitting the net. Down 0-30, Brady unleashes a punching first serve but Osaka has a card up her sleeve in the form of a powerful backhand, drilled across Brady to give herself a couple of break-points.
And Osaka converts the break off the first one itself thanks to a Brady error. Break for Osaka.
Set 2, Game 1
Osaka starts off with a couple of easy points but Brady isn’t going away without a fight, carving out the next two points with stunningly powerful groundstrokes. Osaka retaliates with a strong first serve, and then finishes off the game after a quick rally.
Odds after first set (both odds with bet365).
Osaka win: 1/20, Brady win: 10/1
Set 1, Game 10
Serving to stay in the set, Brady dishes out a couple of solid first serves before quickly finishing off the point, but a backhand error keeps Osaka in the game.
Another strong serve follows, another point for Brady but a strong Osaka return next gives her no time to keep the ball in play.
A double-fault brings up deuce, and then Osaka provides such an excellent defence that it converts a difficult position for her into a winning one. And a break-point down, Brady pulls out one of the worst forehand error of her tournament campaign to virtually gift Osaka the set.
Set 1, Game 9
Osaka looks like she has lost a bit of her radar and even on serve, she is struggling to get her rhythm going. Back to back unforced errors bring her to 0-30 on serve, but Brady the misses a forehand, hitting it too long.
Osaka levels things up with another strong serve which is followed by a brilliant rally that will probably be played over and over again today. Osaka has Brady on the run but the American manages to lob it over the three-time Grand Slam winner for a break-point.
That’s saved with a solid forehand and a few rallies later, Brady bludgeons one into the net to give Osaka a game-point. She finishes it off with a rush to the net to put pressure on the American backhand, which is hit wide.
Relief for Osaka.
Set 1, Game 8
A punching, stand and deliver from Brady gets her going in the game but Osaka comes back with a solid return that sets her up for an easy smash. Brady retaliates with an ace, but then follows it up with two errors, one unforced, the other sort of rushed by the Osaka return to give the world number three a break-point.
An excellent serve and a brilliant serve sets up a good few shots but in the end, Osaka hits the net to level up. A couple of points are exchanged to bring it back to deuce, but then Brady gets her serve working, getting her an ace.
Osaka isn’t done yet though as she puts her opponent’s second serve on the back-foot before Brady gets another game-point that she then converts with a powerful serve.
Osaka has sent in 48% winning 82% of them of her first serves in so far to Brady’s 33% and 50% respectively.
Set 1, Game 7
Brady looks to be putting a lot of pressure on the Osaka serve and all of a sudden she is down 15-30 on her serve. A decent serve from Osaka gets Brady failing to get the return over and then the Japanese punches an ace wide of her opponent.
A solid defensive play from Brady keeps her in the point only for her to hit it wide, and Osaka manages a slightly tough hold.
Set 1, Game 6
A strong backhand after a couple of rally shots sees Brady start things off well, and she then follows it up with a blistering forehand winner leaving Osaka wrong-footed. And a couple of quick points later, Brady manages to retain serve to love.
Set 1, Game 5
This time around, the net cord benefits Brady, slowing the ball down enough for her to attempt a winner but Osaka manages to get to it and converts it into a winner. A better return off the next Osaka serve, however, forces the Japanese player into finding the net, and Brady then attacks the Osaka second serve to bring it to 15-30 on the Japanese’s serve.
Another first serve goes begging from Osaka but Brady is unable to take advantage of that, hitting it with far too much power. Finally getting her first serve in, Osaka puts away an easy groundstroke from net but then misses a backhand down the line, hitting it too long to get us to deuce.
A double-fault follows soon after, and some strong hitting and running around from both players leads to an Osaka error; Brady has broken back!
Set 1, Game 4
The net-cord slows the ball enough for Osaka to drill home a winner to start the game while a Brady double-fault, her second, gets Osaka an opening in the game.
Some strong back-hand returning from Osaka leaves Brady in some trouble as she falls 0-40 behind and the American, under pressure delivers another double-fault. Broken.
Set 1, Game 3
Not the strongest opening serve from Osaka and Brady takes full toll of it but an unforced error follows soon after off the Brady racquet. This is followed by a strong return that has too much power and goes long while Osaka then punches a solid serve down the middle to get herself two game-points.
A wide serve this time gets Brady reaching out and while Osaka doesn’t hit it to the empty court, the American still finds it tough to get the ball in. Easy game after the first point loss for Osaka.
Set 1, Game 2
Strong serving from Brady, belting down a couple of excellent second serves that see Osaka struggle to get her racquet on. Follows it up with a strong first serve to race off to three game-points.
A double-fault gives Osaka a bit of an opening and then a strong return from Osaka is followed by a couple of Brady errors that takes it from 40-0 to deuce. Already, Brady looks to be under some pressure.
Osaka looks like she want to put the Brady second serve under the pump but a forehand goes too long to give Brady a fourth game-point only for the American to punch a solid return to draw out an error from the Brady groundstroke.
A quick second serve, and a fifth game-point for Brady is followed by Osaka returning one wide to level the scoreline at 1-1.
Set 1, Game 1
Here we go then, first game with Osaka serving and she starts off with a good reply to her opponent’s strong return. An ace next up, before the windy conditions make it tough for her to get her serve motion started.
A quick sorry for that but she is back dishing out an ace, the second in a row before Osaka finishes off the game with another strong service that Brady has no response for.
7.35 pm local time
The two players have just walked out to the court to a grander reception than usual, Brady first up followed by Osaka. Not surprisingly, Osaka gets a very loud cheer from the crowds.
The toss takes place and Osaka wins it and decides she will be serving first. Bit of an advantage doing that especially when the other player needs to serve at 4-5 or 5-6 to stay in the set/match.
That’s how it looks:
It’s time… pic.twitter.com/SatYAaeu3f
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) February 20, 2021
7.20 pm local time
A quick reminder that tomorrow will be the men’s singles final, in which Novak Djokovic will take on Daniil Medvedev. Much like this women’s singles final, there is a considerable gulf between the two players as far as their trophy count is concerned, but that encounter, on paper, could be a lot closer.
Djokovic is a slight favourite at 5/6 while Medvedev starts off evens (both odds with bet365).
More on that later today.
7 pm local time
A quick look at what the bookmakers are saying before the match.
If you are in the US, you can check BetUS (click here to register) for the latest women’s singles odds where Osaka and Brady are +400 and -500 respectively.
In the UK and rest of the world, you can check out bet365 (click here to register) for their pre-match odds, where Osaka is a mere 1/5 to win this while Brady starts off 19/5 to shock the three-time Grand Slam winner.
6.30 pm local time
Around an hour away from the big one, the women’s singles final between the three-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka and American first-time major finalist Jennifer Brady.
On paper, and everywhere else, you would expect Osaka to put it past the player from USA but then again the hunter has become the hunted, the challenger will now be the one challenged and that is where the pressure changes hands.
Osaka will, however, wonder what is pressure.
She has already endured two match-points and overcome Garbine Muguruza and then smashed past the 23-time Serena Williams in the semifinal, two instances of how Osaka hasn’t let any kind of pressure affect her.
Taking nothing away from Brady here, she knows she has nothing to lose. She also knows she has played brilliantly, not just in this tournament but over the last 12 months or so, and her time will come.
What that should do is free her of any mental barriers; she can go out there and delivery her best game, hoping for some help from Osaka on the way.
What we would be hoping for is a tight match now, don’t we? (obviously not if you are an Osaka fan!)
Osaka v Brady Preview
It’s a match between the experience and class of Naomi Osaka and the hard-hitting capability of a first-timer in Jennifer Brady for the women’s singles final of the 2021 Australian Open.
On paper this is a one-sided encounter, and the bookmakers aren’t averse to saying the same, with Osaka kick-starting the match at a whopping and mere 1/5 while Brady is 19/5 to win this one ( both odds courtesy bet365. ) Whichever way you look at that, those are incredibly low odds for an Osaka win.
To give you a perspective, these are very similar odds to what were on offer when Osaka played Su-wei Hsieh, Ons Jabeur and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova – only marginally shorter for those matches.
Look at this another way and Brady had gone into each of her first six rounds as a favourite, but all of a sudden she is heavily a second favourite.
And it’s only fair. Osaka is a three-time Grand Slam winner but most vitally, the kind of tennis she has played all tournament and may be even since she returned to tennis following the pandemic break, it’s difficult to see her lose a match in a hurry.
Take for example her semifinal against Serena Williams. Williams had shown a remarkable return to form, what with her chasing balls and defensively showing signs of being back to her best.
And Osaka tamed the 23-time champion in straight sets.
Brady’s form cannot be totally ignored having made the US Open semifinal but it must be quickly added here that her path to the final here has been shorn of any top women’s players. Plus she was stretched in both her previous rounds too, losing a set to both Jessica Pegula and Karolina Muchova.
Whether Brady will give Osaka a fight, that remains a bigger question than any sort of other unrealistic ones about a shock loss for Osaka. Because if the Japanese player is fit, it seems like a distant dream right now for anyone to get the better of her.
Follow our live blog & updates here from 7.30 pm local time for the Osaka v Brady match.
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