Naomi Osaka wins Australian Open, becomes new world No 1

The fourth seed and US Open champion made it two Grand Slam titles in a row after a see-sawing 2hr 27min match.

The hard-fought victory made Osaka the first Asian, male or female, to hold the world’s top ranking, taking over from Romania’s Simona Halep.

A rattled Osaka almost blew her title hopes with one hand on the trophy when she failed to convert three championship points when up 5-3 in the second set.

The never-say-die Kvitova won four straight games to force a deciding set before Osaka finally edged ahead with a decisive break early in the third.

The Japanese youngster fell to one knee in celebration, head bowed, after her epic win as Melbourne Park erupted in thunderous cheers.

It was a marked contrast to her maiden Slam win last year, when Osaka cried as boos rang around Flushing Meadows following losing finalist Serena Williams’ tirade at the umpire.

This time, Osaka wept tears of joy and smiled as she became the youngest woman to win back-to-back majors since Martina Hingis in 1998 and the youngest number one since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010.

Her performance confirms her status as the leading light of tennis’ new generation.

Predictions of a slugfest between two of the game’s biggest hitters proved accurate as Kvitova hit 16 winners to Osaka’s 14 in the first set.

The pair had never met before and Osaka initially struggled to unlock the lanky left-hander’s serve, while Kvitova at times could not handle her opponent’s powerful returns.

The Czech mixed up her game with drop shots and changes of pace but blew three break chances in a crunch sixth game.

Serving to stay in the set, Kvitova saved two set points to force a tie-break, which Osaka ran away with 7-2 after finally appearing to get a read on Kvitova’s serve.

It was the first set the Czech had conceded in the entire tournament.

Kvitova regrouped and kept her hopes alive with the first break of the match to go up 2-0 in the second after going after Osaka’s second serve.

Osaka was frustrated but did not panic, earning three break-back points in the next game, the decisive one off a Kvitova double fault, which she conceded with a poorly hit drop shot to put the set back on level terms.

Osaka, who went into the match with a record of winning 59 straight matches after taking the first set, broke again to take control as Kvitova’s error rate climbed.

Osaka then brought up three championship points off Kvitova’s serve but the Czech saved all of them, forcing Osaka to serve for the title.

Nerves took hold as Osaka conceded a break to make it 5-5, smashing a ball into the ground and putting her hands over her ears.

She was rattled further after losing a challenge in the next, bringing up break point with a cross-court backhand but was unable to stop Kvitova holding.

The Czech then broke again to seize momentum with her fourth straight game, claiming the set as Osaka left the court with a towel draped over her head.

She regained her cool and came out firing in the third, backing herself and clipping a clean backhand winner after another Kvitova double fault brought up break point in the third game.

She still had to see off a Kvitova break opportunity in the next but held comfortably, her mental demons put to bed.

Kvitova would not surrender, saving three break points before again forcing Osaka to serve it out. Osaka managed it on the second attempt for a famous victory.

Japan’s Naomi Osaka and Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova (L) attends presentation ceremony after the women’s singles final on day 13 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 26, 2019. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP) / — IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE —

As it happened:

Set-by-set breakdown of the Australian Open women’s final after Naomi Osaka beat Petra Kvitova 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-4 on Saturday:

Set 1 – Osaka 7-6 (7/2), 51 minutes

A nervy Osaka opened the match with a double fault but she quickly regrouped and comfortably held. Most of the crowd were pro-Osaka but Kvitova didn’t let it get to her and she held her first service game to love, with Osaka’s returns flying long. Not to be outdone, the Japanese star also held to love and it was 2-1 after just six minutes. The powerful Kvitova backhand helped create two breaks points in a tense fifth game, but the gritty 21-year-old saved them both. The Czech survived her own mini crisis in the next game, saving a break point with little between the players. Osaka dug herself out of a hole in the seventh game, rallying from 0-40 down to keep the match on serve. A fired-up Kvitova then saved two set points at 5-6 to force the set to a tiebreak, only for the ruthless Osaka to move up a gear and take it 7-2.

Set 2 – Kvitova 7-5, 55 minutes

The experienced Kvitova hadn’t lost a set all tournament until now and she responded emphatically. She stayed calm to hold serve then sent a powerful forehand down the line for break point in the next game. It was saved but there was nothing Osaka could do on a second break point, having no answer to a Kvitova crosscourt forehand to give the Czech a 2-0 advantage. But Osaka is a fighter and some poor serving by Kvitova allowed her to break straight back. Osaka was on fire and returning serve well with a poorly executed drop shot from the Czech giving her another break for 3-2 as the crowd rose to their feet. With Kvitova on the ropes, the Japanese fourth seed raced to three championship points at 3-5 and it looked all over, but she couldn’t covert any of them and a forehand long allowed the fearless Kvitova to somehow break back for 5-5, with Osaka smashing a ball to the ground in frustration. Kvitova held serve and then broke a wilting Osaka again to take the set as the rattled Japanese walked off for a bathroom break with a towel over her head.

Set 3 – Osaka 6-4, 41 minutes

Both players held serve as the deciding set got underway, but Osaka was under the pump, knowing she had one hand on the trophy only to throw it away. The 21-year-old, though, was not ready to give up and a double fault on the Kvitova serve handed her a break point and a huge backhand sealed the game to give her a 2-1 advantage. She held for 3-1 courtesy of some big groundstrokes as the momentum, and the crowd, swung firmly in her direction. Kvitova pulled out a booming ace to hold the next game and stay in touch. She worked a break point in the next, but Osaka held firm to move 4-2 in front. The never-say-die Czech went 0-40 down in the seventh game, but somehow came back from the death with two booming aces helping her keep the match alive. It went to 5-4 with Osaka on serve and the Japanese star made no mistake this time, falling to her knees, head bowed after claiming her first Australian Open title and second Grand Slam in a row.

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