Naomi Osaka Books Clay Semi-Final Ticket

Naomi Osaka Books Clay Semi-Final Ticket

Naomi Osaka, Tennis world number one beat Donna Vekic to reach her first career clay court semi-final in Stuttgart on Friday.

The young Japanese came from 1-5 down in the final set to beat Vekic 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4).

This win confirms Osaka’s first final entry since winning the Australian Open last year.

When asked about her performance this season, she said:

“I would be lying if I said it didn’t bother me. You can tell because I get antsy on the court, whereas before if I made a mistake, I would just act on it.”

“When I am at my best, I wake up wanting a new challenge. In this phase, I felt like I was waking up just wanting to win.”

Osaka said that she had tried to “think logically” when she found herself on the brink of defeat in Friday’s quarter-final.

“I try not to panic anymore because that costs energy,”

“I just told myself I didn’t want to come away from here with any regrets.”