Andreescu shares her admiration for Naomi Osaka ahead of their clash in Beijing

The two players will meet for the first time ever in the quarterfinals of the China Open in Beijing.

Naomi Osaka and Bianca Andreescu

Two tennis stars are set to collide in Beijing. US Open winner Bianca Andreescu will play the reigning Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka. The two will face off in the quarterfinals of the China Open on Friday. This will be their first meeting on the court. The match is highly anticipated and could be an instant classic given their current form.

Similar journey to the top

Ahead of the tantalizing clash, Andreescu has expressed her admiration for the Japanese player. The two players have had some similar journey on their rise to the top of the game. Both players had to overcome 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams on their way to their first major titles. Osaka beat the former world number one at the US Open in 2018. The Canadian repeated the same trick at this year’s event. She has won all of her 4 WTA titles this year. In addition to the Grand Slam, the 19-year-old has won the Indian Wells Open and the Rogers Cup. She ranked a career-high number five in September after her victory in New York. Osaka has already achieved the number one ranking and has 4 singles titles.

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It’s not going to be easy

In a recent interview, Andreescu has praised Osaka for her achievements in the game. With the two players achieving success at a young age, the Canadian is happy that the next generation of players is achieving some success on the women’s side. “I really admired her, I still do. She’s doing incredible, especially at such a young age as well. It’s nice to play another player that’s close to my age. We’re kind of like the NextGen. I’m really excited. I know it’s not going to be easy at all.”

Osaka qualified for the quarterfinals by defeating Alison Riske in a straightforward victory. The 21-year-old has been in fine form at the China Open. She won the Toray Pacific Open in Japan without dropping a set at the tournament. She is also yet to drop a set in Beijing. Bianca overcame Jennifer Brady to win her 17th consecutive match. The 19-year-old has the longest winning streak and her 46-4 win record is the best on the WTA tour. She also has an 8-0 record against top-ten opponents this season. Among her notable wins are victories against Karolina Pliskova, Elina Svitolina, Kiki Bertens, Angelique Kerber, and Caroline Wozniacki.

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Andreescu in Beijing, ranking, and results in 2019

Bianca Vanessa Andreescu Stats info

Ranked no.6, Bianca Vanessa has a 46-4 win-loss record in 2019. Andreescu is playing in Beijing where she beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2 2-6 6-1, Elise Mertens 6-3 7-65 and Jennifer Brady 6-1 6-3.

The Canadian will come up against Osaka in the quarter. They have never played each so far on the main tour.

Bianca Vanessa clinched 4 titles in 2019 in the Newport Beach, in Indian Wells, in Toronto and at the U.S. Open. The Canadian was the finalist in Auckland.

Osaka in Beijing, ranking, and results in 2019

Naomi Osaka Stats info

Ranked no.4, Naomi has a 36-11 win-loss record in 2019. The Japanese is currently having a run in Beijing where she beat Jessica Pegula 6-3 7-65, Andrea Petkovic 6-2 6-0 and Alison Riske 6-4 6-0.

The Japanese will square off with Andreescu in the quarter. They have never played each so far on the main tour.

The Japanese conquered 2 titles in 2019 at the Australian Open and in Osaka.

Osaka won 4 titles in her career: 4 on hard courts. (See the list of her titles)

Bianca Vanessa Andreescu and Naomi Osaka have never played each other.