"I know I was underachieving these last couple of months, but I still feel like I'm a pretty good player" - Naomi Osaka's message to Caroline Wozniacki after beating Angelique Kerber
Naomi Osaka scored one of her biggest wins in recent months, beating Angelique Kerber in the second round of the Miami Open on Thursday. After the win, Osaka admitted she was spurred on by comments made by Caroline Wozniacki, who predicted that the German would beat the Japanese.
Osaka had lost four straight matches against Kerber heading into Thursday's encounter. As such, many, including Wozniacki, believed that the Japanese would suffer another early exit.
But Osaka dominated the encounter from start to finish and cruised to a 6-2, 6-3 win. Speaking to the media after the win, the four-time Major champion said she was aware of the fact that facing the German would be difficult.
"I definitely came into this match knowing it was going to be very difficult, and I knew that I had to fight for every point because she's the type of player that I think on the outside she might show it, but she is fighting for everything," Naomi Osaka said. "I feel like if I gave her the opportunity she would claw her way back."
Osaka then pointed out how she came across Wozniacki's comments on the Tennis Channel, where the Dane predicted that Kerber would beat the Japanese and Leylah Fernandez would defeat Karolina Muchova. Interestingly, both of Wozniacki's predictions turned out to be wrong.
Osaka said Wozniacki's comments were circling in her thoughts when she took the court against Kerber.
"I was watching Tennis Channel the other day, right? I don't know like what night or whatever, but they had the draw up," Osaka added. "I was like, Oh, no. I accidentally saw the draw. This is before I played Astra. So I was like, Dang, I have to play Kerber if I win this next round."
"But then I think Caroline Wozniacki was commentating, and they were like, Oh, who do you think is going to make it out of this section? She's, like, I think Kerber and Fernandez are going to play each other," she continued. "I was, like, Oh, me and Muchova aren't right here. So I was kind of thinking about it in my head a lot during when I was playing just now."
The Japanese stressed that she was not actively trying to prove a point to Wozniacki, but suggested that she was fueled by the Dane's comments.
"Yeah, I don't know if that was the reason the score was why it was today, but I don't know. I don't really say I had like a vendetta, but I was like, Hmm, I know I was kind of underachieving these last couple of months, but I still feel like I'm a pretty good player," Naomi Osaka said. "Because Wozniacki said it kind of confidently that Kerber was going to be going through. I don't know. But anyways, yeah, that's my story. Sorry."
"I know the scoreline might have looked like I was cruising, but I was really like focused every point" - Naomi Osaka on her win against Angelique Kerber
During the presser, Naomi Osaka explained that beating a player of Kerber's caliber has given her a shot of confidence that she can use over the rest of the tournament. The Japanese reckons that she managed a straight-sets win over the three-time Major champion primarily due to her ability to sustain her focus.
"Yeah, it is a confidence booster, but I didn't go into the match not confident, if that makes sense," Naomi Osaka said. "For me, it kind of just shows all the hard work that I have been doing throughout the year. And for me, I was really glad I was able to come through in two sets. I know the scoreline might have looked like I was cruising, but I was really like focused every point."
"So I'm really glad that I have come to this point in my career where I can say that, you know, I'm really like glad with how I played," she added. "I think mentally too, as well, just being able to stay like kind of neutral the entire match, it was really cool."
Osaka will take on Muchova in the third round of the Miami Open.