(Miami) Naomi Osaka, ex-N. 1 in the world down to 77and rank, qualified for the final of the WTA 1000 tournament in Miami on Thursday, beating 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 the Swiss Belinda Bencic (28and).
Posted at 6:00 p.m.
The 24-year-old Japanese, who reaches this stage of the event for the first time, will try to win her 8and tournament on the women’s circuit, Saturday, against the Polish Iga Swiatek, future world No.1, or the American Jessica Pegula (21and).
Such a scenario would mark her return to the fore a little more, after a year of great turbulence experienced on the courts, marked by several tear episodes for the one who had confided, at the time of Roland-Garros last June, to be in the grip of anxiety for several years.
These moments of distress first appeared at the Cincinnati tournament in August, then the following month at the United States Open, in a press conference, after his surprise elimination at the 3and round against Canadian Leylah Fernandez. She then took a break and only returned to competition in January at the Australian Open, of which she was defending champion but where she was stopped at the 3and tower.
After having cracked again two weeks ago, in tears during and after his lost match at 2and from the WTA in Indian Wells, after a verbal provocation from someone in the audience (“Naomi, you suck!”), the Japanese started working with a therapist, confident of feeling the first benefits of this approach.
This was seen on the courts in Miami, since she won her first four matches without losing the slightest set and even less her means, auguring the return of the formidable champion, quadruple winner in Grand Slams (twice at the International Australia, twice at the US Open).
For this fifth meeting, she had to concede a set, the first, overwhelmed by the aggressiveness of Bencic, excellent in backhand and who knows how to go about beating her, since she had won three of their first four confrontations .
But Osaka has shown that she knows how to react in the face of adversity again. After breaking a second time in the second set to lead 4-2, she kept this advantage by relying on her powerful serve (18 aces).
And she engaged in the third set, stealing twice the service of the Swiss, who came back at 5-4. But the Japanese was able to conclude without trembling. As for the tears, they are well mounted, fleeting, but of joy.