MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Naomi Osaka crushed Jennifer Brady 6-4 6-3 to secure her second Australian Open title today and cement her position as the new queen of the women’s game.
Osaka’s unilateral victory over the 22nd seeded American in the final at Rod Laver’s Arena gave Japan its fourth major crown of juggernaut, with its career still in its 23rd year.
He joined Monica Seles and Roger Federer as winners in their first four Grand Slam finals, eventually identifying him as the big game performer.
“My response is that that is a really amazing company,” Osaka told reporters, sitting next to the winner’s Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.
“Hopefully I can get a single chronicle of how their career has developed. But you can only wish and you can only go down your own path.
“But it’s definitely a crazy thing to hear.”
There are bound to be more big trophies waiting if she can convert her irresistible hardcourt form into clay and French Open grass at Wimbledon.
After defeating Serena Williams in the semi-final, a victory that reinforced the guard’s change, Brady was ruled out by Osaka in the power hitters.
She romps to a 21st straight win in finished games, a streak dating back more than a year.
Supporters hoping to replay last year’s US Open semi-final were left disappointed as Brady froze in light of his first Slam final.
US Open champion Osaka also lacked her best tennis, joining Brady to produce a dour first set, scattered with errors.
But he settled for six straight games, rushing to a 4-0 lead in the second before serving the match to love.
A big serve sealed it, causing Brady to fire a long advance return, and Osaka held his racket over her head, beaming and making a small jump in an understated celebration.
“Tonight I felt like it was more of a mental battle,” said Osaka who also won the 2019 title.
“Of course I can’t speak for her, but I was really nervous. Honestly, I told myself before the fight, I’m probably not going to play well.
“I shouldn’t put that pressure on myself to play perfectly but just go out there and fight for every point.”
EARLY NERVES
On a cool and windy night at Rod Laver Arena, Osaka warmed up with two aces but got off to a fast start in a flood of errors from both players.
Brady was particularly guilty, injecting 18 unforced errors in the opening set.
Both players dropped their serve before Brady breathed some life into the match at 4-4, luring Osaka in with a shot, then scrambling forward to recover and lob him for a breaking point.
Osaka nervously canceled it out with an imperious forehand winner fired from the baseline and hung tight until Brady gave her the lead.
Serving to stay in the set at 5-4, Brady slapped a wild handball over the baseline to cough up a set point and then stepped into a winner’s bunt that would be headed straight into the net.
The crowd groaned and Brady took her chair facing ashen.
Osaka captured the momentum, breaking Brady again in the second game of the second set with a luxury cross-court backhand winner.
He rolled on to a 4-0 lead before Brady tied some resistance to break Osaka.
The American bounced back to 5-3 but bowed as he started, breaking wild returns to allow Osaka to serve the fight without trouble.
It was a forgettable display of Brady’s racket but he had a remarkable run in Melbourne, having been one of the 72 players who failed to train during their fortnightly hard quarantine in the preseason.
“I think she’s human like the rest of us in this room,” Brady told Osaka reporters. “She just brings out her best in the big moments.
“But I don’t think, you know, she’s God,” he added with a smile. “I think maybe Serena is. She might get there, I don’t know. ”