MELBOURNE, Australia – Serena Williams has once again come within the reach of a 24th Grand Slam singles title and played well enough on Thursday to reach the final days of a major tournament. And once again, Williams could not manage it, as she was defeated 6-3, 6-4 by Naomi Osaka in the Australian Open semi-finals.
Osaka, who also beat Williams in the chaotic U.S. Open final of 2018, reached her fourth major title game and stretched her winning streak to 20 games by claiming the last eight points.
“I do not know if there are any small children today, but I was a small child who saw her play,” Osaka, 23, said of Williams, 39, “and just to play against her, for me. , is a dream. ‘
Osaka will be in the final with the no. 25 selected Karolina Muchova or the 22nd American Jennifer Brady will face.
The number 3 seeded Osaka’s Grand Slam collection also included the US Open and Australian Open in 2019 last year and she is without a doubt the most dangerous hard court player in the women’s competition at the moment.
It was, of course, Williams. But she was too much off target in this match and ended up with twice as many unforced errors, 24, as winners, 12.
“I could have won. I could have been with 5-Love,” Williams said. He led 2-0 in the beginning before dropping the next five games. “I just made so many mistakes.”
Especially her forehead went awry, with just under ten unforced errors from that side in the first set alone.
“Too many mistakes there,” she said. “Easy mistakes.”
Williams ‘frustration was evident early in the second set as she leaned forward and shouted,’ Take a hit! Take a chance! ‘
After collecting her 23rd Slam singles trophy at Melbourne Park in 2017 while pregnant, Williams reached four major finals and lost them all.
She also now lost twice in the semifinals.
The 23-year-old Osaka joined two other players to win each of their first two major events against Williams. Williams’ sister, Venus, won her first three major events at the 1998 Australian Open, Wimbledon 2000 and the US Open in 2001. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the other one is Jennifer Capriati at the French Open in 2001 and Wimbledon in 2001. .
Spectators were back in the stands at Rod Laver Arena on Thursday after being banned from attending the tournament for five days during a local COVID-19 lockout. About 7,000 people were admitted to the stadium for Williams-Osaka, about half the capacity.
Guardians walked through passages through the hallways to remind fans that they had to wear a mask or over their nose and mouth.
On the hottest day of the tournament so far – 85 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Celsius) – Osaka got off to a shaky start, perhaps prompted to push into its opening service match by a thriving Williams-winner back over the second point of the match.
This was followed by a double fault, a wild forehead and finally a chopped backhand that gave a breather. Williams quickly went up 2-0 and then maintained a break point again with a chance to take a 3-0 lead after another double error by Osaka.
“I was just really like, nervous and scared, I think, at first,” said Osaka, who was born in Japan and moved to the United States when she was three. “And then I got comfortable in it.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.