Australian Open 2021 - Naomi Osaka overpowers error-prone Hsieh Su-Wei to reach semi-finals

ByJames Kilpatrick

Updated 16/02/2021 at 06:49 GMT

Naomi Osaka is into the semi-finals of the Australian Open. The 2021 Australian Open is live on Eurosport. Watch every match live and ad-free on the Eurosport app and eurosport.co.uk. You can download the Eurosport app for iOS and Android now. The opening Grand Slam of the season in Melbourne runs from February 8 until February 21.

Naomi Osaka is into the semi-finals of the Australian Open with a straightforward 6-2, 6-2 win over Hsieh Su-wei on Rod Laver Arena in one hour and eight minutes.

Hsieh was simply unable to cope with the power of Osaka’s groundstrokes and the 35-year-old, the oldest player to ever make her maiden appearance in a Slam quarter-final, made too many unforced errors (23 to Osaka's 14)

Osaka, meanwhile, will be delighted to extend her winning streak to 19 matches and seal her place in the semi-finals for the first time since she won it back in 2019.

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The number three seed will play either Serena Williams or Simona Halep in the semis.

Osaka took the first set in 36 minutes as Hsieh's double-handed doubled-sided game failed to make a significant impact against the 23-year-old, whose forehand proved overwhelming for the Taiwanese player at times.

Osaka raced through the final set. Hsieh played some of her best tennis when she was two match points down, winning the first with a forehand smash in a 15-shot rally.

But Osaka sealed the victory on her third match point when Hsieh fired long.

Highlights | Su-Wei Hsieh - Naomi Osaka

Osaka: I always watch Serena's matches

"Definitely really happy," she said on-court post-match.

"I'm really happy with how I played today too. Every time I play her it's such a battle and even though the score was like this it was actually really another battle for me.

"Her shot-making... she's able to hit winners from both sides and you don't know when she's about to go forwards.

"It [saving two match points against Garbine Muguruza in previous round] makes me a bit more calm knowing that even though my back really was against the wall I still had opportunities.

"Knowing that even today when she had two match points and saved them both normally I feel like I would've panicked but today I was really calm.

'I always watch Serena's matches' - Osaka's reaction to beating Hsieh in straight sets

"I know my next opponent is either Serena or Halep.

I always watch Serena's matches anyway. Normally I never look at my draw, but everyone has told me about my draw here so I had no choice but to know why my next opponent is.

"It's definitely going to be really fun."

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