Marion Bartoli was one of many who rushed to praise Naomi Osaka for her emphatic US Open victory last night.
After all, she deserved all the adulation she did and continued to receive, having put Coco Gauff to the sword in front of her home crowd.
It was a clinic from the Japanese superstar, who conjured the kind of performance we had not seen since she was regularly winning Grand Slam titles, and crushed her opponent in straight sets.
Osaka outlined what excited her most about her win over Gauff, and in all honesty, there was so much to choose from. She was that good.
Speaking live on Sky Sports, Bartoli would pinpoint what made the difference for the 27-year-old on the night.
Marion Bartoli analyses Naomi Osaka’s win over Coco Gauff
She would actually outline the key difference between the two competitors as the reason behind the gulf in quality and scoreline, as she started by stating: “I think the contrast was really as well in how both players were going to their emotions because Naomi was like, and Laura rightly pointed out during the match, and then she said it herself on the on-court interview, enjoying herself, smiling, so clear about what she wanted to do.
“And in contrast for Coco, just struggling with everything, even her backhand she was struggling. She was finding the net on so many occasions, hitting over 30 unforced errors in a very quick match that really didn’t last long.
“And I mean, we sort of knew since the beginning of this tournament, it was a bit of a struggle mentally to go over the pressure and everything, but really today, it showed up even more.”
There have been arguments since to argue that Gauff’s US Open loss might actually be a good thing. Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka will now face Karolina Muchova for a spot in the semi-finals.
Naomi Osaka’s head-to-head record vs Karolina Muchova
After such a statement win, Osaka is suddenly being talked about as a genuine contender for the US Open title.
Especially given that her next opponent, Muchova, seems to be struggling through her draw.
To have made it this far is a credit to her, given all the ailments she has suffered with. Even the last match saw her take a medical timeout as she received work on a back issue that has troubled her for some time.
Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images
This gulf in physicality could be the key that allows Osaka to continue her rampant form, as their head-to-head indicates there will be little between them.
They are currently tied with two wins apiece, with Osaka the latest to taste success in their short rivalry in Melbourne earlier this year.
However, Muchova did dump her out of this very competition around this time last year, which could make for a really intriguing dynamic as one of them seeks to sneak ahead in the head-to-head.
AloJapan.com