Australian Open 2021 - Naomi Osaka is not looking forward to playing Hsieh Su-Wei in quarter-finals

ByEurosport

Updated 14/02/2021 at 05:15 GMT

The 2019 Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka beat Garbine Muguruza in stunning fashion on Sunday to reach the quarter-finals of the first Grand Slam of the year. She will now face awkward customer Hsieh Su-Wei. The Japanese player admits she is expecting a really tough match with history showing they normally go to three sets when they face each other.

Naomi Osaka admits she is not looking forward to playing Hsieh Su-Wei in the Australian Open quarter-finals.

The world number three saved two match points as she battled back from the brink to reach the quarters with a 4-6 6-4 7-5 victory over Garbine Muguruza on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Hsieh knocked out Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets on Margaret Court Arena.

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Osaka has a 4-1 win record over Hsieh, but four of those matches have gone to three sets. The 23-year-old admits she expects a "really tricky" match against the 35-year-old who will be playing in her first ever Grand Slam quarter-final match.

“I’m not really looking forward to it," she said after beating Muguruza. "She’s going to be really tough.

"Every time I’ve played her its three sets. Really long so I think I played her two years ago here so it’s actually fun when I’m not really angry.

It [Hsieh’s style] makes it really tricky. I know the people she’s played are super difficult. For me whenever I play her I have to expect everything.

'I was a bit intimidated' - Osaka on her comeback win against Muguruza

Osaka had never played Muguruza before her comeback victory on Rod Laver Arena, and she said she felt "a bit intimidated" by the Spaniard going into the fourth round tie.

“I feel like today I didn’t really know what to expect because I’d never played her before," she said. "But I knew it was going to be tough.

“Today I feel like I was a bit intimidated because I knew she was playing really well coming into this match. In the stressful points I feel I have to go within myself. I know that today I probably hit a lot of unforced errors.

"I think that was something I needed to do. I couldn’t really give her any short balls because she’d finish it."

Highlights | Garbiñe Muguruza - Naomi Osaka

Hsieh: I don't care if I lose

Hsieh Su-wei said she cares not whether she wins or loses against Osaka later this week.

Hsieh said she would probably get "smashed" by the three-times Grand Slam champion but was looking forward to testing her problem-solving skills.

"I'm quite enjoy to playing every match, even if I get tortured," the three-times Grand Slam doubles champion said.

"I don't really care I win or I lose. I just try my best and play the game. All the girls, they play different games. It's very interesting when you have some difficult situations.

I want to try to find a way and try to get into the game. At least I try. If I lose, I don't lose anything. It's no problem for me.

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