Winning with Authority: Osaka is the California Champ!

Winning with Authority: Osaka is the California Champ!

Naomi Osaka vs Daria Kasatkina (6-3, 6-2)

Naomi Osaka produced one of her best performances at Indian Wells, dominating the higher-seeded and online betting favourite Daria Kasatkina in the BNP Paribas Open final to win her first WTA title.

The Japan-born star, with her immense power that took down top players and live betting darlings such as Simona Halep and Karolina Pliskova, has always been considered a huge threat to Kasatkina. And that proved to be the case as she made easy work of the Russian, who commanded the pre-match betting odds with her varied style of play.

Kasatkina wasn’t able to take full advantage of the court condition, with Osaka controlling the match on serve to outmuscle her fellow 20-year-old.

Osaka needed just one hour and 10 minutes to beat Kasatkina in the contest.

The Russian youngster had a bright start as Osaka struggled with her forehand, but that didn’t last long as the Japanese quickly found her rhythm and imposed her will on her opponent. Thanks to her pulverizing groundstrokes and power, Osaka jumped to a 5-3 lead in the opener.

She ended up giving just one point in the next game to take the set.

The second frame wasn’t much different. Osaka continued her dominance and broke in the opening game of the set before rallying to a 5-1 lead. Kasatkina tried to extend the game with her backhand winners, though her efforts weren’t enough to stop her rampaging opponent.

The win is Osaka’s first title at any level and will see her move up from No. 44 to a career-high 22nd in the World ranking. She also joins Serena Williams (1999) and Kim Clijster (2005) as the only unseeded players to win the title at the desert.

Osaka (20 years and 153 days old) also became the youngest Indian Wells champion since Ana Ivanovic (20 years and 138 days old) who won the 2008 title.

“I really wanted to win this, but also I just tried to think it was a first-round match and just not psych myself out too much,” she said after her win. “I don’t really know what’s going on right now. I really feel like I have another match I have to play tomorrow, and it didn’t really sink in that I won. I’m happy.”

On the other hand, despite the loss, Kasatkina will move up to no.11 in the women’s rankings.

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