When perfection proved out of reach, Naomi Osaka found something more valuable on Thursday: a way to reset.
The two-time US Open champion defeated Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 to reach the third round at Flushing Meadows, overcoming a frustrating second-set slump before regaining her composure in the decider.
Osaka appeared firmly in control after sweeping through the opening set and taking a 4-2 lead in the second without facing a break point.
But her unforced errors began to mount — 20 in the second set compared with just four in the first — and Siniakova, the world doubles No. 1, seized her opportunity. Osaka’s growing frustration only compounded her problems.
“I think on my end it was more, like, mentally I wanted to play perfectly,” said Osaka, who was broken while serving for the match at 5-3 as Siniakova fought back to force a deciding set.
Osaka berated herself after mistakes and smacked the edge of her racquet against the court after one particularly poor point.
But she regrouped in the third, breaking early to move 3-0 ahead and then saving two break points in the fifth game to consolidate her advantage at 4-1. Another break of Siniakova’s serve put the match beyond doubt.
“In the third set, I just tried to do what I could do, and thankfully I was able to win,” Osaka said.
“I had moments where I dipped, definitely. I feel like, obviously, on my serve I want to hold my serve at all times, and there were specific moments where I didn’t.
“I was just really hard on myself, and it made me, I guess, over-analyze the situation.
“She’s an amazing player, but I felt like I definitely had a lot of opportunities that I was a little bit too frantic. I was thinking too much about closing.”
Osaka will next face Belgium’s Elise Mertens, who advanced with a 6-2, 7-6 (7/3) victory over Uzbekistan’s Maria Timofeeva.
AFP
