Naomi Osaka claimed her first WTA title after producing a commanding display to beat Daria Kasatkina 6-3 6-2 in the BNP Paribas Open final in Indian Wells.
The Japanese player, who will move up to No.22 in the world rankings on Monday, took control of the match in game seven when she saved a break point and ran with that momentum to win 10 of the next 12 points and take the first set 6-3.
In set two, Osaka stepped up her game even further to break Kasatkina in the opening game and she never looked back from that point on as she raced to a 6-2 scoreline to claim the title.
When she was making her acceptance speech during the trophy ceremony, the Japanese, 20, was clearly overwhelmed by what she had achieved. Smiling broadly, she frequently paused as she tried to remember everyone she wanted to thank: her friends, family, team, opponent, sponsors, ball kids and organisers. Towards the end, she joked, “This is probably going to be the worst acceptance speech of all time.”
“This is probably going to be the worst acceptance speech of all time” – @BNPPARIBASOPEN champion @Naomi_Osaka_
We beg to differ! #BNPPO18 pic.twitter.com/4XpckdmLtq
— WTA (@WTA) 18 March 2018
It was a disappointing performance from Kasatkina, who did not play as well as she can, but most players on the WTA tour would have struggled to cope with Osaka’s irresistable combination of power and accuracy in this final.
The Japanese rising star hardly put a foot wrong all match as she unleashed an impressive array of groundstrokes into all corners of the court. Osaka’s serve was on form too, as she served five aces and won 79% of points behind her first serve.
Prior to the match, Kasatkina, who is also 20, would have hoped to be the better mover in the contest, but it did not turn out that way as Osaka demonstrated that she has made plenty of improvement in that area by chasing down many of the clever shots hit by the Russian.
For Osaka, this was a display that really put down a marker to the rest of the WTA tour. It showed she could handle the biggest pressure of all – a championship match – and win in style. It was a perfect end to a stunning week for the youngster, who beat Agnieszka Radwanska, Karolina Pliskova and World No.1 Simona Halep en route to the final.
Although the final did not go her way, it has been a hugely impressive and encouraging week for Kasatkina too, who can look back with immense pride on hard-fought victories over Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki, Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens, as well as an eye-catching rout of Angelique Kerber.
While the women’s tournament at Indian Wells in 2018 will be remembered for the performances of both Osaka and Kasatkina, today’s final belonged to the Japanese player as she won her first title with a flourish.
