Japan’s Naomi Osaka reversed her decision to withdraw from the WTA Western & Southern Open semi-finals yesterday, saying she will now play the match that has been rearranged today.
The two-time Grand Slam champion said in a statement on Wednesday that she had pulled out of her last-four clash with Belgium’s Elise Mertens in protest at the police shooting of black man Jacob Blake in Wisconsin.
However, after WTA and ATP chiefs announced a suspension of play at the tournament following anger over Blake’s shooting, Osaka said she has now changed her mind. “As you know, I pulled out of the tournament yesterday in support of racial injustice and continued police violence,” Osaka said in a statement first reported by Britain’s The Guardian and The New York Times.
“I was (and am) ready and prepared to concede the match to my opponent. However, after my announcement and lengthy consultation with the WTA and USTA, I have agreed at their request to play on Friday. They offered to postpone all matches until Friday and in my mind that brings more attention to the movement. I want to thank the WTA and the tournament for their support.”
In her statement on Wednesday, Osaka had said she was not ready to play tennis following the Blake shooting. “Before I am an athlete, I am a black woman. And as a black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis,” Osaka said.
“I don’t expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing, but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport I consider that a step in the right direction.” Her move came after the Milwaukee Bucks boycotted their NBA playoff game over the shooting, forcing the league to halt Wednesday’s schedule of postseason fixtures.
Earlier, Osaka had battled back to defeat Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in the quarter-finals. Mertens eliminated American Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-3. Also into the last four was two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, who beat Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur 7-6 (11/9), 6-2. She will play for a spot in the final against British eighth seed Johanna Konta, who advanced 6-4, 6-3 in 92 minutes over Greece’s 13th-seeded Maria Sakkari, who defeated Serena Williams in the round of 16.
Meanwhile, men’s World number one Novak Djokovic cruised into the semi-finals by routing Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-1. Djokovic, who launches his bid for a fourth US Open title and 18th Grand Slam crown on Monday, needed only 62 minutes to advance to a semi-final against Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, who upset defending champion Daniil Medvedev, last year’s US Open runner-up from Russia, by 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Djokovic had no issues with a prior neck injury as the 33-year-old Serbian tested himself well on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts in the same spectator-less Covid-19 bubble quarantine atmosphere where the US Open will be played. “It was great. I feel very good,” said Djokovic who is 21-0 this year. “Started a little bit tight the opening couple of games of my service games. Managed to defend well. Ever since that first break early in the first set, I never looked back. I really played very aggressive when I have a chance. I was playing my shots. I was very pleased with my serve.”
Djokovic won the title of the event typically played in Cincinnati in 2018 after five prior finals losses and looks like he could claim a second title in three tries while warming up for the US Open and testing the improvements made to his games since the Covid-19 shutdown.
Bautista Agut, ranked 12th, fought back after being blasted in the first set. His reward is an on-form Djokovic, who has won five of the past seven Grand Slam titles as he chases Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal – both absent from the New York bubble – for the all-time Slam title record.
The other semi-final will pit Greek fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who advanced down 5-6 when American Reilly Opelka retired, against Milos Raonic, a 4-6 7-6(2) 7-5 winner over Serbian Filip Krajinovic.