Osaka wins Australian Open crown; becomes youngest women’s world number one

Japan’s Naomi Osaka poses with her trophy after winning her match against Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova - REUTERS

MELBOURNE (Reuters): Naomi Osaka overcame nerves, tears and a spirited challenge from double Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova to claim the Australian Open title with a 7-6(2) 5-7 6-4 win on Saturday.

It was a second successive Grand Slam crown for the Japanese, after her U.S. Open triumph in September, and she became the first Asian player to claim the world number one ranking in the process.

Kvitova saved four matchpoints, showing the same resilience she needed to return to the top level of tennis after a knife attack and lengthy surgery in 2016, but her fightback fell just short.

Osaka shed tears after losing the second set from a 5-3 lead but returned to court after a washroom break calmer and more composed.

She broke Kvitova in the third game of the final set and converted her fifth matchpoint to end a superb final in two hours and 27 minutes, receiving the acclaim of the crowd in stark contrast to her last Grand Slam success.

While she had heard only boos from an angry and frustrated crowd after defeating home favourite Serena Williams in an ill-tempered U.S. Open final, on Saturday she received a proper coronation from an approving audience at the Rod Laver Arena.“Hello, sorry, public speaking isn’t really my strong suit so I just hope we can get through this,” Osaka said after receiving the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup from former champion Li Na and a winner’s cheque for A$4.1 million ($2.95 million).The 21-year-old Osaka became the youngest women’s world number one since Dane Caroline Wozniacki, who was 20 when she topped the rankings in 2010.

The fourth seed, one of the cleanest strikers of the ball in women’s tennis, also became the first player since Jennifer Capriati in 2001 to win the next Grand Slam after her maiden major title.For Kvitova, simply being in a Grand Slam final was a triumph of sorts.

She had missed the tournament two years ago while recovering from an attack by a knife-wielding home intruder that left her with a stab wound to her racket hand.“It’s crazy, I can’t believe I just played a final of a Grand Slam again. It’s been a while in a final for me,” said an emotional Kvitova.

“But mostly thank you (to my team) for sticking with me even (if) we didn’t know if I would be able to hold this racket again.”