By Chris Oddo | Sunday January 20, 2019
Naomi Osaka has been a comeback queen in 2019. After going 2-19 when dropping the first set in 2018, the World No.4 has proven to be a resilient character in 2019. She notched her third such comeback of the season on Day 8, and her second against Anastasija Sevastova, as she rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over the No.13 seed.
Osaka’s triumph is her 11th consecutive win at a major and lands her in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open for the first time—she had failed to reach the last eight of a major in her first 10 appearances in Grand Slam singles draws, but now has done so twice in a row.
Osaka defeated Sevastova for the second time this month (also quarterfinals at Brisbane) by redoubling her efforts in the second set and once again committing to being a consistent force from the baseline.
After dropping a listless, erratic opener Osaka trimmed her error count in the middle set and took a 5-2 lead, but still had trouble hanging on to it. Osaka showed her big-point prowess when she played a near-perfect rally and incrementally took the advantage from Sevastova to save a break point at 5-3, 30-40 with a beautiful forehand volley winner.
It was a big shot on a big point--and one of several reminders on the day that Osaka is one of those rare players that can elevate her game when the situation calls for it.
She would take the next two points and break immediately to start the third set, but Sevastova pushed back by converting her fifth break point of the game to level at three-all.
It was here where Osaka stepped up her game and showed big courage once again. She quickly broke back behind some ballistic forehand returns and then survived a four-deuce game to hold for 5-3.
Sevastova forced the 21-year-old to serve it out but Osaka was more than up for the task. She raced out to 40-0 and converted her second match point to clinch the victory in 1:47.
Osaka moves on to face sixth-seeded Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals. Svitolina, who knocked off Madison Keys in three sets on Day 8, owns a 3-2 lifetime edge over Osaka and won their previous two meetings in 2018.