Osaka Survives Roller Coaster Ride vs. Zhang in Beijing

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Osaka Survives Roller Coaster Ride vs. Zhang in Beijing

By Chris Oddo | Friday October 5, 2018

Naomi Osaka battled inner turmoil and a hot home favorite in Beijing, eventually coming away with a three-set victory to reach the China Open semis.

Photo Source: Lintao Zhang/Getty

14 out of 15 ain’t bad.

And Naomi Osaka? She’s so very good.

The 2018 U.S. Open champion continued her successful Asian swing form with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory over China’s Zhang Shuai, though this victory was not as simple as her previous three at the China Open.

Osaka, who was emotional on this day and never really slipped into the calm, composed match temperament that we saw on display at the U.S. Open, was made to work through demons by an in-form opponent that was bidding to reach her first China Open semifinal.

This was Osaka today: fighting frustration and tears. Still, she won and qualified for the semi-finals! Quite extraordinary... pic.twitter.com/3Ic1J9XNkM
— China Open (@ChinaOpen) October 5, 2018

That Osaka was able to claim the victory, in two hours and 33 minutes of back and forth play, is a testament to her ability to deliver when it matters most—even when she isn’t in possession of her best tennis. That was certainly the case today, as Osaka faced 16 break points and surrendered six breaks to Zhang in a match that saw her only connect on 46 percent of her first serves.

"It was just one of those things that I had to find a way to push through"@Naomi_Osaka_ reflects on a hard fought win over Zhang Shaui #ChinaOpen #大坂なおみ pic.twitter.com/aCAEft33aP
— WTA (@WTA) October 5, 2018

Osaka committed 22 unforced errors in a drab first set and slipped into a negative posture on the court that she never could seem to shake. But her tennis improved as the desperation emerged, and Osaka reined in her errors and started to produce more of the stunning baseline power that we’ve become accustomed to. She finished with 51 winners on the day to just 12 for Zhang and managed to rally back from 4-2 and 5-4 down in the third set, eventually taking the final three games to clinch the victory.

It's a great comeback win for @Naomi_Osaka_ !

Beats Zhang in three topsy-turvy sets, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5!#ChinaOpen #大坂なおみ pic.twitter.com/Q7PycYbFdO
— WTA (@WTA) October 5, 2018

Osaka has now won 14 of 15 matches dating back to the start of the U.S. Open and will face Anastasija Sevastova or in the semifinals.

"She's such an incredible player and it was really hard to play against her here," Osaka said off her good friend Zhang on-court after the match. "I'm just thinking one match at a time, and it can only get harder from here."