The five best women's matches at the US Open 2020
Naomi Osaka won the title at the US Open - but which matches really got stuck? A selection.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Dec 10, 2020, 03:27 pm
# 5 Shelby Rogers - Petra Kvitova, round of 16 - 7: 6, 3: 6, 7: 6
Petra Kvitova has it every now and then, the "off days", during which nothing comes together. However, that was not the case here: 58 winners with 35 mistakes without need were in the statistics for the two-time Wimbledon winner - and she still lost. The reason: a great playing Shelby Rogers, who had traveled to New York with a win over Serena Williams (in Lexington) and had already taken Elena Rybakina out of the tournament in round 3. Rogers fended off four match points before she won in the end and made it to the quarter-finals. Where then against the eventual winner Naomi Osaka was over.
# 4 Naomi Osaka - Jennifer Brady, semi-finals, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3
Jennifer Brady had already drawn attention to herself at the start of the season in Brisbane with victories over Maria Sharapova and Ashleigh Barty, after which she reached the semifinals in Dubai. When the tour resumed, she immediately won in Lexington, and then started the US Open on large terrain. In the last sixteen: a demonstration against fellow favorite Angelique Kerber , who had little to oppose Brady's "heavy spin". Brady, coached by ex-Görges trainer Michael Geserer, also demanded everything from Naomi Osaka, there were only two breaks at the end of a high-class encounter.
# 3 Victoria Azarenka - Serena Williams, semi-finals, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3
No secret: Azarenka has the weapons to beat Serena Williams, but she had never succeeded in a major tournament, 0:10 was the balance here. And this time, too, everything looked like a victory for Serena, who started the game brilliantly. At 2: 2 in the second half, however, Azarenka managed the break that should change everything - and added one more to her fabulous comeback .
# 2 Laura Siegemund / Vera Zvonareva - Yifan Xu / Nicole Melichar, double finals, 6: 4, 6: 4
Laura Siegemund didn't even have the match point as match point in her head, the cheers came with a delay. But no matter: What a success for the 32-year-old after the mixed victory four years earlier. The finale: absolutely top-class, with Laura Siegemund, who anticipated and whirled around on the net excellently - an instructional video on the subject of "Always get on the net!".
# 1 Naomi Osaka - Victoria Azarenka, singles final, 1: 6, 6: 3, 6: 3
Azarenka reached the final with eleven wins in a row, which was the repetition of the Cincy final - with the small exception that Osaka, who was still handicapped on the thigh, took on this time. Azarenka hit almost everything at the beginning, including 16 of 17 first serves. But Osaka fought and finally scored - in the end, there were 34 winners on her way to the third Grand Slam title of her career. "Two years ago I would probably have given up with a set and break deficit," said Osaka.