By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday June 14, 2024
The Canadian edged Osaka in a tense three-set battle on the grass in 's-Hertogenbosch.
Photo Source: TTC
A highly anticipated match between former Grand Slam champions lived up to the hype on Friday in the Netherlands.
In their first meeting since 2019 – and second overall – Bianca Andreescu edged four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(3) to reach the semifinals at the Libema Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
The Canadian playing in just her second event of 2024, nearly squandered a 5-2 lead in the final set, but recovered in time to erase a mini-break deficit as she marched past former World No.1 Osaka in the final set breaker.
The match seemed to turn in the final-set tiebreak, when Osaka missed a backhand into the net after Andreescu, who had been stretched out wide on the point, had fallen.
From there Andreescu raced through the final five points to claim victory.
“I think the level from both of us was very high today,” Andreescu told the crowd after her win. “It could have been either one of us winning.”
Andreescu hit 18 winners against 16 unforced errors on the day, while Osaka hit 33 winners against 36 unforced errors in the two hour and 15-minute contest.
Andreescu, currently 228 in the WTA rankings, improves to 5-1 on the season with her win. Osaka, ranked 125, drops to 14-11.
“I just told myself whatever happens happens, I just want to give my best – that’s what I did and I’m very happy,” 24-year-old Andreescu, who missed the first five months of the season due to a back injury, said.
Andreescu won 75 percent of her first-serve points and saved three of six break points.
“I think I did well with my serve and my return,” she said. “It was just my day I guess, tomorrow she could have won, so I guess it was just my day.”
Osaka and Andreescu have now split their two meetings – the Japanese came through the pair’s first encounter in three sets in the Beijing quarterfinals in 2019.
Andreescu, who won the 2019 US Open, was riding a 17-match winning streak at the time.
Andreescu will face Hungarian qualifier Dalma Galfi in the semifinals.