By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Monday, March 11, 2024
New mother Naomi Osaka is aware of child steps are a treasured technique of progress.
Within the aftermath of her 7-5, 6-4 BNP Paribas Open loss to Elise Mertens, Osaka assessed her progress and first aim.
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Former world No. 1 Osaka topped 14th-seeded Liudmila Samsonova, 7-5, 6-3, within the second spherical for her largest win, by rating, since her comeback this season from maternity go away.
Whereas Osaka was happy by that win, she was upset she didn’t push Mertens to a 3rd set in the present day.
At instances, Osaka was her personal worst enemy—she served simply 38 p.c and transformed solely three of 9 break factors—however she fought till the ultimate ball and appeared to benefit from the battle.
Regardless of lacking some key drives down the stretch, Osaka paused to toss her towels to followers on her stroll off courtroom.
A candid Osaka stated whereas she’s not almost the place she desires to be, she sees enchancment in her recreation in comparison with the latest Abu Dhabi-Doha swing and believes she’s transferring in the suitable path.
“I positively really feel like there’s enchancment,” Osaka informed the media in Indian Wells. “The match I performed earlier than this one, I suppose I beat the highest-ranked particular person I’ve performed to date, so I am completely satisfied about that.
“However I am simply making an attempt to not be too onerous on myself proper now, however I really feel like in some methods I improved so much from Doha. I believe I fought so much more durable or I attempted to combat so much more durable and discover options to issues that had been in entrance of me. However clearly it did not work out too effectively, so I hope that the extra matches I play, the extra I can discover options.”
Certainly, a few of Osaka’s challenges—refining the return, elevating her first-serve share at crunch time and firing the ending photographs with extra accuracy—ought to all begin to include extra match play.
Actually, Osaka was enjoying in the present day to attain three full match wins in a row for the primary time this season. Osaka, who hung out taking child daughter Shai on a hike and to the zoo, will carry a 5-5 report into the Miami Open the place she was 2022 runner-up.
The 2018 Indian Wells champion believes she’s taking small steps towards main objectives.
The four-time Grand Slam champion says profitable extra majors is why she returned to tennis.
“Actually, I am probably not chasing the No. 1 spot proper now,” Osaka stated. “Like, that is such a, if I might get there in, like, three years or, I do not even know what is going on to occur in that point, however that was by no means actually the explanation I got here again.
“I wished to win extra slams. That is why I got here again. However I believe I decide success proper now simply by the hassle that I put in, and I really feel like in the present day I do not suppose I performed effectively in any respect, however I attempted each level.”
On the comeback street, effort is the gasoline that may take Osaka the place she desires to go.
“I believe, like, earlier than I used to be pregnant, there have been a few matches that I did not attempt as onerous as I attempted in the present day, and I really feel like I can stroll off the courtroom realizing that,” Osaka stated. “Though I am unhappy concerning the loss, I do know that I attempted each attainable solution to get again within the match. I suppose that is how I decide success proper now.”
Picture credit score: Matthew Calvis
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