Bianca Andreescu only had positive things to say about fellow young player Naomi Osaka when she was asked about her. In an interview before their scheduled match, the Canadian praised the Japanese star, saying that she is excited for their game.
Osaka, Andreescu and Serena Williams
She compared Osaka to Serena Williams, describing them as aggressive players. She said that they both specialize in delivering big serves, huge ground strokes and delicate movement. It can be remembered that both Andreescu and Osaka won their respective U.S. Open titles after going through Williams, who is looking to win a record-tying 24th Grand Slam.
She also indicated that she has been watching Osaka’s career intently, citing her great performances in the 2018 U.S. Open and the 2019 Australian Open, which the latter both won.
Start of a tennis rivalry?
Bianca Andreescu was at the top of the world after her memorable win in the U.S. Open last month. But thanks to Naomi Osaka’s fantastic performance in the China Open, she just experienced her first loss in any professional tennis match after a 17-win streak.
Osaka advanced to the China Open semifinals with her 5-7 6-3 6-4 win over the Canadian tennis star, who did not make it easy for the 21-year old Japanese. Bianca actually took the first set but Osaka roared back in the last two sets.
Speaking in a press conference before the match, the world No.6 said she was excited to battle Osaka. It was their first time to face each other off and it was truly an exciting thing to see for many industry experts and pundits. In fact, a lot of people are already predicting that the two will form the next great rivalry in professional tennis.
Both Osaka and Andreescu represent the young generation of players coming into WTA Tour, a list that also includes American player Amanda Anisimova. With both of them coming into the mainstream consciousness after winning the U.S. Open in consecutive years, comparisons cannot be avoided.
Osaka, for her part, seems to think positively of her potential rival. She described Andreescu as being an “amazing player” and complimented the fact that she is “focused.” She also said that she watched the Canadian player’s performance in the Rogers Cup earlier.
The 2018 US Open champ, however, said that she chose to not watch any of the matches after she crashed out of this year’s tournament in Flushing Meadows. This means she was not able to see Andreescu battle Williams. But, she did say that she felt that the Canadian did better than she was during her time.
Bianca Vanessa Andreescu’s ranking and performance in 2019
Ranked no.6, the Canadian played her last match on the 4th of October when she had to bow to Naomi Osaka 5-7 6-3 6-4 in the quarter in Beijing.
This year Bianca Vanessa has a 46-5 win-loss record. The Canadian has won 4 titles in 2019 in the Newport Beach, in Indian Wells, in Toronto and at the U.S. Open. Bianca Vanessa was the finalist in Auckland.
Osaka in Beijing, ranking, and results in 2019
Ranked no.4, the Japanese has a 37-11 win-loss record in 2019. Naomi is playing at the moment in Beijing where she defeated Jessica Pegula 6-3 7-65, Andrea Petkovic 6-2 6-0, Alison Riske 6-4 6-0 and Bianca Vanessa Andreescu 5-7 6-3 6-4.
Osaka will come up against Wozniacki in the semifinal. The head to head is 2-0 for Wozniacki.
The last time that they played each other, Wozniacki won 6-2 7-65 in the 2nd round in Eastbourne in June 2017.
Osaka clinched 2 titles in 2019 at the Australian Open and in Osaka.
The Japanese won 4 titles in her career: 4 on hard courts. (See the list of her titles)
Bianca Vanessa Andreescu and Naomi Osaka played each other 1 time. The head to head is 1-0 for Osaka.
The last time that they competed against each other, Naomi Osaka won 5-7 6-3 6-4 in the quarter in Beijing in 04th October 2019.
Here the highlights.
Bianca Vanessa Andreescu and Naomi Osaka |
| Embed from Getty Images |
