Australian Open 2021: Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka prepared for the semi-final fight; predictions, selection, history of competition

The semi-finals of the Australian Open will be played on Wednesday night: 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams against three-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.

At 39, Williams, ranked No. 10 in history, will continue to be haunted for his own history. If he makes it to the finals and wins, he will win his 24th individual Grand Slam title. However, since winning the Australian Open in 2017 (when she was two months pregnant with her daughter Olympia), Williams has advanced to all four Grand Slam finals and has lost them all.

One of those losses was against Osaka in the 2018 U.S. Open final, a game in which Williams received three code violations in the final set, including a game penalty. At last year’s US Open, Williams fell to Victoria Azarenka in the semifinals in three sets.

Osaka, 23, is No. 3 in this year’s Australian Open. Her three Grand Slam titles came in the 2018 US Open (over Williams), the 2019 Australian Open (Petra Kvitova) and the 2020 US Open (over Azarenka). Entering the semi-finals on Wednesday night, Osaka has won 19 games since last February. Hsieh Su-wei won Melbourne in the quarterfinals this month, Osaka have a perfect 10-0 record in the quarterfinals or later in the Grand Slams.

Every time Osaka reaches the finals in a Grand Slam he goes on to win the championship. Williams is 8-0 in his famous career in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, having won seven of his 23 Grand Slams below. Both have a lot of impetus to compete in the finals.

“I definitely think it’s the best game I’ve played in this tournament,” Williams said he said after winning the quarterfinals has twice won Grand Slam winner Simona Halep.

Osaka, with a powerful mirror and clearing Williams who plays style, saved two game points with Garbine Muguruza winning twice against the Grand Slam winner in the fourth round match, with Hsieh Su-wei scoring just 66 minutes into the set. He scored 24 wins and lost just two points on the first kick.

“[I’m] I’m definitely really happy with how I played today. Every time I play [Su-wei], it’s always a fight like that, “Osaka said after a quick win in the quarterfinals.” Although the score was as follows, it was a different struggle for me. He is able to get winners on both sides. You don’t know when he’s going to look for it. “

Osaka and Williams have dropped just one set so far in the tournament – both coming in fourth-round matches.

The way to the semi-finals

Serena Williams

• 1R: Laura Siegemund, 6-1, 6-1
• 2R: Nina Stojanovic, 6-3, 6-0
• 3R: Anastasia Potapova, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2
• 4R: Aryna Sabalenka, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
• QF: Simona Halep, 6-3, 6-3

Naomi Osaka

• 1R: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-1, 6-2
• 2R: Caroline Garcia, 6-2, 6-3
• 3R: Ons Jabeur, 6-3, 6-2
• 4R: Garbine Muguruza, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5
• QF: Hsieh Su-wei, 6-2, 6-2

Head to Head (2-2 all the time)

The two powerful have faced each other four times and all the matches have been on the hard court. The first Grand Slam match was in the 2018 U.S. Open final, as Osaka overtook Williams in straight sets for their first Grand Slam title.

The 2018 tournament match had controversial penalties. Referee Carlos Ramos forced three codes on Williams in the third, and as a result, Osaka won 5-3 in the second set. In the end, Williams scored his second consecutive victory (at the time) in a major final.

While Osaka took the first two games against each other, Williams has won the last two games.

2021 – A Day on the Drive – Final
Winner – S. Williams, 6-2, 2-6, 10-7

2019 – Rogers Cup – Quarterfinals
Winner – S. Williams, 6-3, 6-4

2018 – US Open – Final
Winner – Osaka, 6-2, 6-4

2018 – Miami Open – First Round
Winner – Osaka, 6-3, 6-2

Prediction and selection

Williams has looked great in this tournament. There is a feeling of stability and ease towards him that we did not have for a long time. The long interruption in the game as a result of the coronavirus pandemic (only two Grand Slams occurred in 2020) seems to have raised the pressure a bit to get to number 24. the camera team follows him and his family at this year’s Australian Open (supposedly to document and capture the moment that breaks Margaret Court’s record … if she does), his defense is intangible, a is rocking powerful, Flo-Jo inspired Nike look in each of his matches.

More importantly, she finally feels like she’s feeling her time.

When you’re playing for Williams, you can play the best tennis of your life, and come out as a runner-up. I think that will be Osaka in this next semifinal. Williams has returned to embrace the powerful blows of his shoes and is also uniting and enduring his opponents.

Selection: Williams advanced to the tournament with a three-week victory over Osaka. The winner of Wednesday’s Williams-Osaka semi-final will face Jennifer Brady at No. 22 or Karolina Muchova at No. 25, as Ashleigh Barty No. 1 was upset in the quarterfinals.

How to watch the semi-final match

No.: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
When: Wednesday, Feb. 17, 10 p.m. ET
Television: ESPN
Highlights: CBS Sports HQ