Japan Archives - World Tennis Magazine

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Naomi Osaka beat Ashleigh Barty 3-6 6-3 6-2 to win the China Open women’s singles in Beijing, China

Dominic Thiem beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6 6-4 6-1 to win the China Open men’s singles in Beijing, China

Novak Djokovic beat John Millman 6-3 6-2 to win the Rakuten Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo, Japan

SAYING

“I accomplished what I set out to do.” – Naomi Osaka, after winning the China Open women’s title.

“I was trying to belt it and I couldn’t crack an egg out there.” – Ashleigh Barty, talking about the cold weather conditions during his China Open final loss to Naomi Osaka.

“It was a fantastic week in every sense. I felt great on the court … didn’t drop a set, played really well, served great. Just overall a great experience.” – Novak Djokovic, who won in Tokyo.

“Your legacy is continuing to build and will just live on long after you’ve finished playing but I’m sure you’ve got a fair few more years left.” – John Millman, complimenting Novak Djokovic after being thrashed by the Serb in the Tokyo final.

“It feels great because today was for me one of the best matches I’ve played in my life.” – Dominic Thiem, who served and volleyed his way to victory over Stefano Tsitsipas in the China Open final.

“It’s my first good tournament after a while. I just need to stay concentrated and not think too big of myself this week,” – Stefano Tsitsipas, who had lost five of his previous six matches before Beijing.

“I forgot how it felt and honestly it sucks. I didn’t miss it.” – Bianca Andreescu, after having her 17-match winning streak snapped in the China Open quarterfinals by Naomi Osaka.

“For me, I just do what I’ve been doing for, like, 21 years, which is play tennis. That’s the main thing for me. That’s the thing that I’ve done every day of my life and what gives me most joy.” – Naomi Osaka.

“It also shows that I (have) played another very good and consistent season. I’m looking forward to it a lot.” – Dominic Thiem, after qualifying for the eight-player, season-ending Nitto ATP Tour Finals.

“I felt that something isn’t right because my mind is there but my body wasn’t following it.” – Sabine Lisicki, 2013 Wimbledon finalist, who is resuming training after being diagnosed and treated for mononucleosis.

SECOND STRAIGHT TITLE

Naomi Osaka is sending a message on who’s number one on the WTA tour. Dominating the Asian swing, Osaka captured her second consecutive title, this time battering top-ranked Ashleigh Barty in the China Open final. “Honestly, all I was thinking about was how much I wanted to win so that made me very emotional,” Osaka said after her three-set victory. “In the second set I just tried to rationalize everything and then in the third set just continue what I was doing.” Despite Osaka getting the first break of the match, Barty took control to jump out front by winning the first set. The next two sets were an entirely different story as Osaka overpowered her Australian foe, striking quickly with down-the-line service returns and holding serve. “I still felt like the underdog (against Barty),” Osaka said. “Results-wise, she’s had a way better 2019, I think. She’s ranked higher than me. People look at that going into it.” The match was played in chilly weather, the temperature around 59 F (15 Celsius). Barty said the conditions nullified the zip on her serve and reduced the variety of shots she was able to play. Osaka had a different take on it. “I’m not really too much of an analyst, wo I can’t say whether the colder conditions helped me,” she said. Her Beijing victory came a week after Osaka captured the Toray Pan Pacific Ocean in her birthplace of Osaka, Japan.

Osaka became the fifth player to qualify for the year-ending WTA Finals, joining Barty, Karolina Pliskova, Simona Halep and Bianca Andreescu. Osaka will be playing in her second straight WTA Finals, making her the second Japanese woman to qualify in consecutive years since Kimiko Date did it in 1994-96.

SO DOMINANT

Novak Djokovic dominated John Millman in winning his first Japan Open title and the 76^th of his career. It was the Serb’s first tournament since he withdrew from the US Open because of a shoulder injury. “It was a fantastic week in every sense,” Djokovic said. “I felt great on the court … didn’t drop a set, payed really well, served great. Just overall a great experience.” Millman, a qualifier, was playing in his first ATP Tour 500 final. And it was really no contest. Djokovic had 23 winners, including eight of his 12 trips to the net. “It sounds silly to say but I hope everyone all around the world realizes just how good you are,” a thorough impressed Millman told Djokovic at the trophy presentation. “You’re an absolute champion and you’re the type of person who’s going to be remembered forever.” Millman will certainly remember. Djokovic won 87 percent of his first service points, slammed six aces, never faced a break point and wrapped up the victory in 69 minutes. He didn’t drop a set the entire week. And he had a good word for Millman, who staved off three match points in his first qualifying match. “He had a great tournament,” Djokovic said. “Considering he was close to losing in the first round of qualies, to get this far, I think he’ll take it. He’s a fighter.”

SERVE AND VOLLEY???

Austria’s Dominic Thiem played what he called one of the best matches of his career. It came against Stefano Tsitsipas and in the China Open final. “Game style-wise and also how I came back, it’s definitely one of my biggest titles because the tournament is so strong, the draw was so strong,” Thiem said. “Makes me very happy that I stand as the champion at the end of the week.” It was Thiem’s fourth title in a season where the 26-year-old has posted victories over both top-ranked Novak Djokovic and third-ranked Roger Federer. In Beijing, Thiem and Tsitsipas – both known for their clay-court baseline battles – instead went to the net repeatedly, even serving and volleying on big points. Tsitsipas went to the net 33 times, eight more than Thiem, where he won 19 points, two more than the eventual champion. “I think today I never went so much to the net in one match before. It’s the right thing to do. I think it’s very important to shorten up points, to finish points at the net,” Thiem said. Tsitsipas won the opening set and was one point away from serving for the match. Instead, it was Thiem who prevailed, thanks to a backhand passing shot that clipped the net and fell in. Tsitsipas never recovered as Thiem won seven straight games, leveling the match at a set each and taking a 5-0 lead in the third. “I was so close,” Tsitsipas said. “Literally one point from getting a break, serving for the championship. I just did the wrong thing. I went back, wanted to take some time, in which he played smart. He served and volleyed.”

Thiem became the fifth player to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. He joins Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Daniil Medvedev in the November 10-17 tournament.

START OF RIVALRY?

The last two US Open women’s champions met in Beijing, and it was Naomi Osaka coming out on top while snapping Bianca Andreescu’s 17-match winning streak. Osaka won America’s premier tennis tournament in 2018, while Andreescu captured the crown last month. In their China Open quarterfinal, Osaka fired 10 aces and 31 winners to prevail 5-7 6-3 6-4. It was Andreescu’s first loss since the Miami Open in March. There were 11 breaks of serve in the match. “I think we’re going to have many matches like this,” Andreescu said. “Our game styles are pretty different, but they level up pretty equally.” Osaka, who went on to win the tournament, noted that she didn’t reach a final on clay or grass this year. “I feel like people counted me out after the Europe thing,” she said. “I’m just like, I still won a Slam this year, I won (Osaka). I’m still here. But there’s a sort of beauty to be underrated.”

SITTING ON TOP

Kristina Mladenovic of France is back on top of the WTA doubles rankings. She replaces Barbora Strycova, who had held the top doubles ranking for 12 consecutive weeks. Mladenovic first took over as WTA doubles number one on June 10 of this year after winning her third career Grand Slam tournament doubles title at Roland Garros. She was number one for just five weeks before being ousted by Strycova. Mladenovic is the second French woman to reach the top ranking in doubles, following Julie Halard-Decugis in 2000, and is the 42^nd player overall since WTA rankings were introduced in 1975.

Mladenovic and her partner, Hungary’s Timea Babos, also became the third team to secure their spot at the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen, where they will be defending their title.

STILL WINNING

Goran Ivanisevic, who was a wild-card entry when he won Wimbledon in 2001, is the fan favorite to enter the International Tennis Hall of Fame next year. The retired 48-year-old Croatian led the way for four candidates in balloting by fans from more than 120 nations. Spain’s Conchita Martinez, the 1994 Wimbledon winner, was second in fan voting, with Sweden’s Jonas Bjorkman, a former world doubles number one, finishing ahead of Spain’s Sergi Bruguera. A candidate must receive 75 percent support from the official Hall voting panel, which includes Hall of Fame members, historians and reporters. Success in fan voting brings bonuses toward that threshold. Next year’s inductees will be announced at the Australian Open in January with enshrinement ceremonies set for next July at the ATP Hall of Fame Classic in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.

SKIPPING SHANGHAI

Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Rolex Shanghai Masters because of an injury to his left hand. It is the same injury that caused him to be unable to take the court for his second singles match at Laver Cup last month. Nadal has never won Shanghai, finishing runner-up in both 2009 and 2017. The reigning US Open men’s champion has won 28 of his past 29 matches, including the last 11. Nadal is next scheduled top compete at the Rolex Paris Masters.

SHARAPOVA WITHDRAWS

An ongoing shoulder injury has forced Maria Sharapova to withdraw from the Upper Austria Ladies Linz tournament. Currently ranked 137^th in the world, Sharapova has entered only eight tournaments this year, reaching the quarterfinals only once, and that in the first week of the year in Shenzhen, China. In the Australian Open, she reached the quarterfinals where she lost to Ashleigh Barty in three sets. Sharapova has won only eight matches this year.

SINO MARK

After 47 years, two Japanese players have reached the quarterfinals of the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships at the same time. Taro Daniel beat Australian Jordan Thompson 6-4 7-6 (3) and Yasutka Uchiyama edged Moldova’s Radu Albot 6-7 (2) 6-3 6-4 in their round of 16 battles. The last time two Japanese players reached the quarters was 1972, when Toshiro Sakai and Jun Kuki did it. At that time, there were 18 Japanese players in the draw; this year, there were five. There has been a Japanese quarterfinalist in Tokyo in seven of the past eight years, with the only exception being 2016. Neither Daniel nor Uchiyama reached the semifinals.

SUSPENDED

An Italian umpire was suspended by the ATP after he made sexual comments to a 16-year-old ball girl. Gianluca Moscarella was umpiring an ATP Challenger Tour match in Florence, Italy when he was caught on camera telling the ball girl “very sexy,” among other remarks. He also was heard urging a player to win. A gold badge umpire, the highest level of international certification, Moscarella asked the ball girl later in the match, “Are you OK? It’s hot. Do you feel hot? Physically or emotionally?” The video was shown on social media and the ATP immediately dismissed Moscarella from the event and suspended without pay. The ATP said Moscarella will not work any ATP or Challenger event as a “contracted ATP official” until an investigation is complete.

STUDY WHILE WORKING

Tennis isn’t the only thing on Caroline Wozniacki’s mind these days. The Danish star is taking a Harvard University class and said she has been “reading a lot, doing my homework.” Wozniacki said: “It’s been good. It’s the business crossover program. It’s learning business. You know, if you want to start your own business one day, it’s good to know what goes on behind the scenes, what decision are good to make, and how to make the most revenue. You know, just trying to learn the basics.”

SKIN COLOR

In laughing off comments about her skin color, Naomi Osaka got in a plug for one of her sponsors. A Japanese comedy duo allegedly joked that the tennis star, born in Japan to a Japanese mother and Haitian father, is “too sunburned.” Posting on Twitter, Osaka lampooned the comments by noting her cosmetic sponsor Shiseido. “Too sunburned’ lol that’s wild,” Osaka said on Twitter. “Little did they know, with Shiseido Anessa perfect UV sunscreen I never get sunburned.” The duo and their management company apologized for the “inappropriate, hurtful remarks,” but did not refer to Osaka by name. In January, the Japanese noodle company Nissin was accused of “whitewashing” Osaka after being forced to remove an advertisement depicting a cartoon of the tennis star with pale skin and light brown hair. Nissen promised to pay more attention in the future to issues of diversity and racism.

SPORTS WRITER

Besides winning matches on court, Andrea Petkovic of Germany is winning awards as a writer. An article in Racquet Magazine written by Petkovic was recognized by Longreads with a Notable Mention in Best American Sports Writing category. Petkovic joined the American indie band “Tennis” on its tour cross the southeastern United States. During the tour, she recorded her musings on the nature of living on the road, both as a professional tennis player and as part of a rock band. She also photographed the experience that accompanied the essay titled, “Tennis vs. Tennis.” “Just a few days ago I was a tennis player on vacation in Mexico, and now I’m a writer on tour with a band, carrying a Polaroid camera with me wherever we go, holding it up and in their faces in their most vulnerable moments, hoping to get something, hoping to see something real, something graspable, something explainable, something wrote writing down,” Petkovic wrote in the essay.

STAYS ON ITF BOARD

Mary Pierce and Mark Woodforde have been re-appointed to four-year terms as the athlete representatives to the International Tennis Federation Board. “Mary and Mark have made significant contributions to the ITF Board over the last four years and we are delighted to have them continue another four years to bring the athlete’s voice into our board meetings and help us make informed decisions for the good of tennis and the ITF member nations,” ITF President David Haggerty said. The ITF Board also unanimously appointed four members in senior leadership roles. Rene Stammbach of Switzerland was appointed treasurer and continues in his role as chairman of the finance committee, while three others were appointed vice presidents: Katrina Adams, the immediate past president of the United States Tennis Association; Bernard Giudicelli, president of the Fédération Française de Tennis; and Bulat Utemuratov, president of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Beijing (men): Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek beat Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo 6-3 7-6 (4)

Beijing (women): Sofia Kenin and Bethanie Mattek-Sands beat Jelena Ostapenko and Dayana Yastremska 6-3 6-7 (5) 10-7 (match tiebreak)

Tokyo: Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin beat Nikola Mektic and Franko Skugor 7-6 (7) 6-4

SURFING

Shanghai: http://en.shanghairolexmasters.com/

Fairfield: https://www.fairfieldprotennis.com/

Mouilleron-Le-Captif: https://www.internationauxdevendee.com/

Tianjin: http://www.tianjinopen.com/

Linz: https://www.ladieslinz.at/de/news/index_ger.html

Moscow: https://kremlincup.ru/

Antwerp: http://europeanopen.be/