Naomi Osaka downs Elise Mertens to set up Victoria Azarenka final
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Updated 28/08/2020 at 18:06 GMT
Naomi Osaka has beaten Elise Mertens in the Western and Southern Open semi-final to set up a final date with Victoria Azarenka.
Naomi Osaka of Japan makes her way to the court for her semifinal match against Elise Mertens of Belgium during the Western & Southern Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 28, 2020 in the Queens borough of New York City.
Image credit: Getty Images
After taking a stand against racial inequality, with play paused on Thursday, Osaka opted to play against the Belgian on Friday, and was quick out of the blocks, winning the first set 6-2.
The second set was an altogether more complicated affair, but the two-time Grand Slam winner eventually edged it 7-5 in a tiebreaker.
The win puts Osaka into her first final of 2020 and she will face the in-form veteran Victoria Azarenka on Saturday.
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Azarenka will be looking to win her first WTA title since 2016 after childbirth and maternity leave forced the former US Open champion to take an extended break from the game.
Since making her comeback she has reached just one final, losing in Monterrey to Garbine Muguruza in 2019.
And her semi-final against Johanna Konta started poorly, with the Brit taking the opening set 6-4.
However, Azarenka roared back to seal victory, levelling the match with a 6-4 win in the second set before running out 6-1 winner in the decider.
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