Naomi Osaka defeated Petra Kvitova 7-6 (7-2) 5-7 6-4 to win her first Australian Open title at the Rod Laver Arena on Saturday.
With the win, Osaka became the World No.1 and the first Asian Tennis player to be crowed so.
Osaka held three match points at 5-3 in the second set but couldn't close it out. She allowed Kvitova to come back and win 23 of 27 points to take that set and go up 1-0 in the third.
Tears of joy @Naomi_Osaka_ #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/ckfLkGG6kf
#AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2019
But Osaka regained her composure and her big-shot ability down the stretch, breaking to lead 2-1 with a cross-court backhand winner and holding on the rest of the way.
Osaka added this trophy to the one she collected by beating Serena Williams in a chaotic U.S. Open final last September. She also became Japans' first ever Gran Slam singles winner.
What a moment. @Naomi_Osaka_ wins her second Grand Slam in a row #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/9TTskXIH9E
#AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2019
Naomi Osaka vs Petra Kvitova, Australian Open 2019: Highlights
Osaka is the first woman to win two major championships in a row since Williams picked up four straight in 2014-15.
Kvitova has leveled the Australian Open final at one-set all after saving three championship points against Naomi Osaka.
Head up @Petra_Kvitova.
#AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2019
You're an inspiration to many #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/HP2YTcM1YJ
U.S. Open champion Osaka won the first set 7-6 (2) and had match points in the ninth game of the second. But Kvitova took the last four games of that set to take it 7-5.
The US Open champion had to save two break points in the fifth game and three in the seventh, when she came back from 0-40, to hold. From then on, she applied most of the pressure on Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon winner.
Kvitova saved two set points while serving to stay in the set and held with a backhand crosscourt winner to force the tiebreaker.
But the 21-year-old Osaka dominated the tiebreaker, earning another four set points when Kvitova netted a backhand and converting the first of those on another error from the Czech player.