French Open 2022: Anisimova beats Osaka again, Swiatek is in a hurry
Amanda Anisimova defeated Naomi Osaka at the 2022 French Open. The American had already achieved the same feat at the Australian Open. Iga Swiatek has impressively confirmed her role as a favourite.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: May 23, 2022, 01:04 pm
By Jens Huiber from Roland Garros
It's always worth paying a visit to the Court Suzanne-Lenglen. Especially when a player who not so long ago dominated the tennis scene on hard court meets an opponent who almost reached the final of the French Open three years ago: Naomi Osaka against Amanda Anisimova. In very inhospitable conditions, which the American also knows from the semi-finals in 2019, where Anisimova was defeated by the later winner Ashleigh Barty after a very strange match.
The first thing that strikes you is the incredible bang with which the balls leave Osaka's racquet, especially on serve. This is an incredibly rich sound that cannot be explained solely by the acoustics caused by the steep grandstands. But: On the one hand, too few of these serves find their way into the field. And on top of that, Anisimova returns to the Osaka field humorlessly and quickly and mostly for a long time. So the Japanese has to throw in a forehand slice far too often, so you can't make a state against the American, who was extremely strong this year.
Osaka seems to be at peace with itself
Osaka and Anisimova met at the Australian Open earlier this year, when Osaka felt the same way as on that rainy Monday in Roland Garros: she had to leave the court as a loser, after three sets, this time after a 5: 7 and 4:6. As there, Osaka didn't take it tragically - which doesn't mean that she lacked fighting spirit on the court. But the high-speed balls, especially with the forehand, don't have the same effect as at the US Open 2020 or the Australian Open 2021. Different times, different circumstances. Osaka does not leave the square immediately, writes a few more autographs. She seems at peace with herself.
However, Naomi Osaka is a few light years away from the top of the world. This is manifested these days in a single woman, namely Iga Swiatek. The Pole is allowed to start work a little later than Osaka and Anisimova. But on the Court Philippe-Chatrier, which is protected by a roof. A privilege that Naomi Osaka should have taken advantage of in her better phase. Swiatek can expect to compete more often in the Stade Roland Garros, the largest stadium. Which is why the Pole didn't occupy the place for too long: after 54 minutes she bid farewell to Lesia Tsurenko 6-2 and 6-0.
Here is the individual tableau of the women in Roland Garros
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