By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Monday, January 15, 2024
Caroline Garcia cracked 13 aces and did not drop serve stopping former No. 1 Naomi Osaka 6-4, 7-6(2) in a superb Australian Open opener.
Photo credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty
Walking past the posters of past champions toward her Rod Laver Arena return, Naomi Osaka paused to tap the image of herself.
Striding behind Osaka, Caroline Garcia flashed a picture-perfect serving performance to knock the four-time Grand Slam champion out of the Australian Open.
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Garcia cracked 13 aces and did not face a break point, stopping former No. 1 Osaka 6-4, 7-6(2) in a superb Australian Open opener.
"I feel definitely happy," Garcia said. "It was a great atmosphere out there. Kind of my first late-night session. It definitely feels different. Playing Naomi in these courts, it's always very special.
"Yeah, it will be a match I will remember. That's also why I play tennis."
Former world No. 4 Garcia advanced to the second round for the ninth time where she will face Magdalena Frech. The 72nd-ranked Frech fought off Aussie wild card Daria Saville 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-5.
Playing her first major match since the 2022 US Open and first Slam match since giving birth last July, Osaka showed the skills that made her a two-time Australian Open champion.
Afterward, Osaka said she was pleased with her level of play, but disappointed she couldn't crack Garcia's serve.
"I thought it was a really good match. For me, I felt like I did the best that I could possibly do," Osaka told the media in Melbourne. "It was just really nice to be on Rod Laver again, hear the audience, how much they interacted with the match. That was fun."
The 16th-seeded Garcia faced the fire with calm confidence.
In a match popping with ballistic ball striking, Garcia smacked 14 more winners than Osaka—34 to 20—and fired some key forehand strikes in the tiebreaker to avenge a 6-2, 6-3 loss to Osaka at the 2021 AO.
This blockbuster between two big servers saw Garcia spread the serve box beautifully. Garcia served 57 percent and won 33 of 37 first-serve points, including winning 18 of 19 first-serve points in the second set.
It was Osaka’s third match in the last 16 months as she took a break from tennis for mental health and to give birth to her first child, daughter Shai.
"Of course I have to tell myself, Hey, like six months ago you were pregnant, stuff like that," Osaka said. "Of course, like, there's a voice in my head that is, Who are you to think you can come back and immediately start winning matches?
"I don't know. I kind of always expect myself to stand a chance anyways. So I guess just being nicer to myself is like a key thing that I learned in my time away. But it is really tough to I guess play a good server and not make too many returns."
Despite today’s defeat, Osaka should be encouraged with her high level of play against the 2022 WTA Finals champion. Osaka will likely want to continue refine her return game—she had 10 more break points than Karolina Pliskova in her 6-3, 6-7, 4-6 loss to the former No. 1 in Brisbane last week and couldn’t crack the code of Garcia’s serve today—but given her long layoff, Osaka has not missed much of a beat on serve.
Asked to assess the former world No. 1's level, Garcia called it "quite impressive."
"I mean, for someone who have been out for 15 months, giving birth six months ago, it's quite impressive," Garcia said. "I think if she come back and play tournament, that mean she feels ready and she's motivated to go get some big title again.
"Her ball is heavy, serve is heavy, forehand is heavy. Come fast. You have to be really ready. Yeah, it's great to see her back. She bring so much to tennis in the last couple of years. She had some struggle. Now she feels ready to come back. It's great. I hope it goes well for her."
The 26-year-old Japanese dropped only eight points on first serve and smacked 11 aces against three double faults.
Rallies were at a premium through the first four games.
In the fifth game, Osaka committed a double fault and a couple of errors as Garcia gained the first break. Garcia backed up the break at 15 for 4-2.
The two-time AO champion dug out of a 15-40 hole, saving two break points for a hard-fought hold in the seventh game.
Both women were cracking deep, flat drives often going toe-to-toe right down the middle. Tested in a long eighth game, Garcia rapped an ace to cap a challenging hold for 5-3.
The former No. 1 pumped a pair of second-serve aces holding firm in the ninth game.
Serving for the set, Garcia was down love-30. The Frenchwoman fired a running forehand down the line that landed right on the line for 30-all. Garcia followed that strike with an ace off the T for set point.
The 2022 WTA Finals champion cranked another biting serve down the middle to wrap up the 41-minute first set.
Garcia hit five more winners—13 to 8—and did not face a break point in the opening set.
Hearing encouragement and some directional advice from coach Wim Fissette, Osaka responded by rolling through three consecutive love holds to go up 3-2 in the second set.
Across the net, Garcia danced out of a return at her foot and scooped a slick forehand winner down the line to level after six games.
Both power players held firm through the first 10 games of the second set as the server exerted control.
Osaka torched her 10th ace down the middle to edge ahead 6-5. Garcia kicked her 10th ace out wide to force the second-set tiebreaker.
Wrong-footing Osaka, Garcia slid a forehand winner crosscourt for the first mini break and a 3-2 lead. Garcia threw down a serve winner rattling her opponent’s Yonex racquet for 4-2.
Garcia slashed her 13th ace for 5-2 then drilled a forehand winner into the corner for four match points.
When Osaka’s final backhand expired into the tape, a sharp Garcia closed a high-quality victory.
A massive spotlight shined on this showdown from the moment the AO draw was made. Garcia conceded she was feeling the nerves and posted positive reinforcement to herself on social media at 4 p.m. hours before stepping on court to face Osaka.
Afterward, Garcia shared she was so stressed before this showdown, she shed tears of anxiety. Credit Garcia for playing with poise and precision from first ball to last today.
While she doesn't expect this powerful win to eradicate nerves, Garcia is hoping she can enjoy the journey.
"I let it out, so that mean I cried a lot," Garcia said. "I talked with my team. Yeah, I mean, they gave me some positive energy, my partner, my coach.
"Yeah, after you realize that you prepared, you trained well, I had a couple of match behind me with some good performance against Iga and Elena, even if it didn't turn on my side...
"At 5-4 I told my coach, Pressure is coming up, I have to serve it out and I feel more and more stress.
"It's definitely important. It will definitely give me confidence to keep trying and keep learning to manage all of that better. It can help me do great things, or at least enjoy the ride."