Western & Southern Open Semifinal Preview: Osaka vs. Mertens

Naomi Osaka, the only Top 10 player remaining on the women’s side at the Western & Southern Open, will have her work cut out in a semifinal clash against Elise Mertens on Friday.

The No. 10-ranked Osaka has had to battle her way through two tough three-setters at this event, rallying from a set down to beat 2019 Wimbledon quarterfinalist Karolina Muchova in her first match, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-2, and then recovering from a 6-4, 2-0 deficit to defeat 2020 Australian Open quarterfinalist Anett Kontaveit in Wednesday's quarterfinals, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.

The two-time major champion was asked afterwards how she turned it around against Kontaveit.

“I started thinking about how bad my attitude was, and that I chose to come here—we kind of had the option not to—and it felt messed up that I had a bad attitude when I chose to come here,” she said.

“But even though it’s kind of embarrassing right now, it’s a really good sign I was able to pull it out.”

Osaka, of course, then announced she wouldn't play her Thursday semifinal, in a sports-wide response to the Jacob Blake shooting. The Western & Southern Open then postponed all matches until Friday, and Osaka, after consulting with the USTA and WTA, agreed to play.

Getty Images

Meanwhile, Mertens has largely cruised. She dropped the middle set of a 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-3 second-round victory over Kristina Mladenovic, but her other three wins have been drama-free: 6-0, 6-2 over Rebecca Peterson; 6-2, 6-3 against Veronika Kudermetova; and 6-1, 6-3 against Jessica Pegula.

The two have played twice before, splitting those meetings: Mertens won their first meeting in Wuhan in 2017, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4, while Osaka won their second meeting in Osaka, Japan in 2019, 6-4, 6-1.

Neither player has been to the final of a Premier 5 event before, but Osaka has been to four finals that were even bigger: two Grand Slam finals and two Premier Mandatory finals—winning all four.

Mertens’ biggest career final came at a regular Premier event in Doha last year; she won that, too.

The Belgian has had six career Top 10 wins, but based on their last meeting, as well as the experience gap going this deep at this level of tournament, a seventh may be too much to ask.

The Pick: Naomi Osaka