Tokyo

By Jack Tarrant TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka continued to flourish in front of her home crowd at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, as she comfortably dispatched Barbora Strycova 6-3 6-4 on Friday to reach the semi-finals. The 20-year-old is competing at her first event since winning her debut Grand Slam earlier this month and looks to have brought her New York form home with her as she has yet to drop a set so far in Tokyo. Osaka proved too powerful for Strycova from the off, storming into a 4-1 lead in the first set with a dominant service game, while her forehand was too strong for the world number 25 to handle. Despite some crafty defence from Strycova to stay in the contest, the result never appeared in doubt as Osaka won easily in one hour and 35 minutes. The Czech beat Osaka when the two met three years ago in Tokyo but Japan’s first ever Grand Slam winner is a very different proposition now and Friday’s win was her ninth in a row. Osaka will face … [Read more...] about Tennis-Osaka eases into Tokyo semis

(Reuters) - Italian Camila Giorgi once again frustrated Caroline Wozniacki on a hard court as she beat the defending champion 6-2 2-6 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Thursday. Giorgi has now beaten the Australian Open champion in each of their three hardcourt meetings and will next face former world number one Victoria Azarenka for a place in the last four. Wozniacki is one of the best defensive players on the women's tour but the Dane had no answer to Giorgi's power and accuracy from the baseline, and the Italian sent down 45 winners to wrap up the contest. After tamely surrendering the first set, Wozniacki roared back to claim the second and go a break up in the decider but Giorgi could not be denied. The Italian began finding the lines again to break back, and claimed six of the last eight games as she stormed to victory. "It was a very good match," a poker-faced Giorgi said in an on-court interview. "This is a nice court and (today) was very … [Read more...] about Giorgi upstages defending champion Wozniacki in Tokyo

(Reuters) - Japan's Naomi Osaka cruised to victory in her first match since lifting the U.S. Open title, beating Dominika Cibulkova 6-2 6-1 in the last-16 at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Wednesday. Osaka, who stunned Serena Williams to become Japan's first grand slam singles champion earlier this month, produced another display of fearless power-hitting to put away Slovak Cibulkova in just under an hour. The 20-year-old, cheered by the capacity home crowd, raced into a 4-0 lead in the opening set and then went on break her opponent three times in the second to ease to victory. "It was really difficult," third-seeded Osaka said courtside. "I'm just grateful that I could play in front of you guys." Osaka will either play Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic or Estonia's Anett Kontaveit in the quarter-finals. Earlier in the day, two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza suffered a shock 6-1 6-2 defeat by American qualifier Alison Riske. World number 75 Riske scored her third … [Read more...] about U.S. Open champ Osaka eases to victory on return to action in Tokyo