By Matthew Marolf
The winner of this match will not only be the Australian Open champion, but also the new world No.1.
Naomi Osaka is vying to become the first woman since Jennifer Capriati in 2001 to back up her maiden Major title by winning the next Grand Slam event as well, as Pam Shriver highlighted on ESPN. Osaka is on a 13-match win streak at the Majors. As Chris Fowler outlined, she’s won an astounding 59 straight matches in which she’s won the first set, dating all the way back to 2016. Naomi has three times survived three-setters in this tournament. The 21-year-old has shown a level of composure well above her age in those moments.
Two years ago, Petra Kvitova was recovering from an in-home attack, where a man cut her playing hand with a knife. Petra almost lost her fingers, and her surgeon suggested she would likely never play at a high level again. Yet here she is, back into a Major final for the first time since 2014, a year after she led the WTA with five titles. As Ravi Ubha highlighted on Twitter, Petra has won 22 straight matches at Grand Slam events when winning the first set. Kvitova is an impressive 26-7 in her career in finals, and has won her last eight. That includes every final she’s played since her return from the knife attack. The two-time Wimbledon champion hasn’t won a Major since 2014. If she wins on Saturday, it would be the biggest gap between Slam singles titles since Roger Federer won this tournament two years ago. The last woman to have such a gap between Major titles was Svetlana Kuznetsova almost a decade ago. Kvitova has steamrolled through this fortnight, having yet to drop a set.
Naomi Osaka (4) vs. Petra Kvitova (8)
This is a rare occasion where a Major final is the first career meeting between the finalists. It’s also a battle between two of the sport’s most likeable stars. Much like both women’s semi-finals on Thursday, this will be a big-hitting and big-serving affair. Osaka served extremely well against another Czech, Karolina Pliskova, hitting 15 aces in their semi-final. However, the lefty serve of Kvitova can be even more dangerous. Petra has only been broken four times in this entire tournament, and only once in her last four matches. And she’s on an 11-match winning streak, dating back to her title run two weeks ago in Sydney.
Based on her current form, her record in tournament finals, and the cooler temperatures forecasted for Saturday evening, Kvitova should be the favourite here. And as composed as Osaka has remained following her US Open victory, it would be understandable if she were to get a bit tight on this occasion. The 21-year-old is due to feel some pressure in a big match at a Major. Coming off the in-home attack of two years ago, Petra may want this just a little more. And if Kvitova wins, it will make for one of the most heart-warming and inspiring achievements in tennis history.
