The brute force of Naomi Osaka crushed the artistry of Hsieh Su-wei as the Japanese former champion charged into the Australian Open semi-finals with a 6-2 6-2 win on Tuesday.
On a warm and muggy day at Rod Laver Arena, third seed Osaka attacked Hsieh’s weak serve with gusto and the Taiwanese giant-killer quickly wilted under the pressure of her Grand Slam quarter-final debut.
Osaka scrambled superbly to chase down the improbable angles conjured by her opponent’s double-handed, double-sided game, and she raced through the final set, sealing the win on the third match point when an overwhelmed Hsieh pushed a defensive shot long.
Osaka, the 2019 champion, will meet the winner of Serena Williams and Simona Halep for a place in the final.