The insomniac-friendly Australian Open has entered the benign phase of its fortnight. After forcing viewers to stay up past midnight on Tuesday for Serena Williams' quarterfinals victory over Simona Halep, the tournament has ditched the red-eye for Wednesday's marquee showdown between Williams and Naomi Osaka.
The start time for the Williams-Osaka semifinal match is a far more agreeable 7 p.m. Pacific time. Williams, the tournament's 10th seed, advanced to the semis with a decisive 6-3, 6-3 defeat of the second-seeded Halep. A victory over Osaka, who beat Hsieh Su-wei 6-2, 6-2 in her quarterfinals match, would position Williams for her record-tying 24th Grand Slam title.
Williams and Osaka have previously met four times, splitting the matchups. Their most notable meeting was in the 2018 U.S. Open final, which Osaka won in straight sets for the first of her three Grand Slam titles. The 23-year-old Osaka, who won the 2019 Australian Open, is 6-0 from the semifinals on in Grand Slam events.
Williams is seeking her eighth Australian Open title. She has been stuck on 23 Grand Slam event titles, one short of Margaret Court's record, since winning the 2017 Australian Open.
The match can be watched on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. It can be streamed on the ESPN+ app.
https://sports.yahoo.com/wont-stay-night-watch-serena-224523567.html
Very helpful info.Thanks!
Posted by: Bettyjane | 02/17/2021 at 02:45 PM
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/let-stop-asking-serena-retire-215258233.html
Plenty of Ms. Ryan's contentions throughout I either question or outright disagree with,
but her final few sentences summing up Serena contain the absolute topper:
"Sure, at some point she'll retire. Well, probably.
(I mean, Venus is 40 and, injuries aside, she's not slowing down.)
But how about right now, we just appreciate this history-making greatness
while we have it in front of us, serving up aces with her daughter in the crowd."
Venus is "not slowing down"?
In the last 12 Slams she's entered, she has been bounced 7 times in the first round,
2 times in the second and 3 times in the third. HASN'T GOTTEN INTO THE SECOND WEEK IN THREE YEARS.
If it's because of "injuries", then the injuries --- almost certainly AGE-related --- are slowing her down.
And if it's NOT because of "injuries"...an even more nonsensical assertion, no?
Posted by: Gary Lee Moser | 02/20/2021 at 08:49 AM
Venus hasn't been impressive on a non-grass surface for years and her performance against Muguruza at Wimbledon (getting bageled in the second and final set) was memorable mostly for how she lost her will after losing that first set. I always feel for her,with "the syndrome" and the Richard Williams preference for his younger daughter.
The remark that Ms.Ryan made that rather jumped out at me
"I want a rematch with Osaka and another chance to see two Black women athletes at the top of their game going head-to-head. "
Posted by: Bettyjane | 02/20/2021 at 09:19 AM
Ahhh..."the syndrome":
Diagnosed during the 2011 USO...
In the first dozen Slams after that, she was 0-for-12 in making it past the 4th round...
In her NEXT dozen Slams, she was 6-for-12 in making it past the 4th round, including 2 losing Finals...
And in her MOST RECENT dozen Slams since that, she has been 0-for-12 in making it past the 3rd round...
Strangely in-and-out, no?
Posted by: Gary Lee Moser | 02/20/2021 at 10:37 AM