tennis

Osaka eliminated in 1st round at Wimbledon

37 Comments
By HOWARD FENDRICH

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37 Comments
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From the video I watched of the match, Osaka's mind was not into playing tennis today. She got beat by a better opponent today, better luck next time!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Poor movement and lots of loose shots. 38 unforced errors in 21 games, 7 more than the winners she hit. That was the match right there.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Maybe she should change her coach. Anyone know a coach that can help young players become World Number 1 ? What a shipwreck 2019 has become.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Her own fault. She became to cocky, wanted to change coach who led her to 2 Grand Slam titles. He did great with her mental side of game. No coincidence it’s been downhill since then. Now has no mental strength. Only herself to blame.

12 ( +15 / -3 )

Aye, she brought this unto her own accord by firing her coach who she had so much success with. Well, maybe one of the countless coaches that volunteered to help her in her younger days with promises of a cut of potential prizes and then got ghosted when she actually did become something will be interested!

5 ( +8 / -3 )

It's all going pear-shaped for Naomi in 2019. She lost the No. 1 spot to the former cricketer Barty and now 15 year old Coco Gauff is the new teenage sensation. Plus she's clearly lacking experience on clay and grass. Let's hope that early success hasn't spoiled her and this is merely a blip.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Let me guess, she's going to again say it's the best thing that could have happened.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Random

Let me guess, she's going to again say it's the best thing that could have happened.

Well if she says that, it won't be in Japanese... :-O

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Since she fired her coach because she wouldn't put success over happiness, she must be ecstatic now.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Rehire her old coach!!

Clearly that is the answer!!1

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

She may have had a perfectly valid reason for firing her coach that takes precedence over simply "winning".

That being said, her new coach is obviously not up to the task, and needs to be replaced.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

She will be back, but I wonder if her new coach isn't over-complicating things for her.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

new coach telling her to pretend it's January 2019, how is that over complicating things?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Naomi Osaka should approach her ex–coach Sascha Bajin and admit her immature decision.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Again - firing the old coach was not the problem. There were justifiable reasons for that. The actual problem is the new coach that was hired as a replacement. He's not getting the job done, and has no experience whatsoever - he'd never coached before (just a college player and pro hitting partner), and he took over duties for the #1 player in the world? Who happens to be young and inexperienced? That's the issue here.

Regarding the match, Putinseva's strategy was clear. Osaka is very much a rhythm player from the baseline, so Putinseva just played junk ball with her. High balls, low balls, deep, shallow, different spins - there were no 8-shot rallies hit to the same place at the same height and speed, which is the kind of point that Osaka excels at. Good on Putinseva. Osaka's coach (ahem) needs to get her better-able to adapt to a wider variety of match flows.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

“I wouldnt put success over my happiness.”

”Can I leave? I feel like Im about to cry. “

8 ( +8 / -0 )

The bandwagon fans are ALREADY saying "She's not Japanese" again after switching her to Japanese last year when she won a grand slam.

6 ( +12 / -6 )

The bandwagon fans are ALREADY saying "She's not Japanese" again after switching her to Japanese last year when she won a grand slam.

I think you’re attaching the the actions of two groups to a single group. I seriously doubt any significant group of people made the switch you claim.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

Cool outfit, though.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Everyone here is blaming the coach -- I know, it's Trump's fault. How about admitting the obvious; she was a flash in the pan and that's all. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he would be back in "The Running Man" to which Richard Dawson replied "only in reruns" so I am sure that will be the same for Osaka...

2 ( +5 / -3 )

The post match press conference is awful to watch. I hate to say this but no class.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

All these people criticizing her might ask themselves what they were doing at age 21. She is a lot more together than I was at that age.

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

She has had her 15 minutes of fame, don't expect to see her in Japanese commercials for a while.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Lose a few more and you want be Japanese anymore.

Will be banished back to the American side....LOL

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Strangerland: "I think you’re attaching the the actions of two groups to a single group. I seriously doubt any significant group of people made the switch you claim."

Seriously doubt it all you like, my friend. It's a fact. I have heard it literally from two people who loved her last year. And how is grouping said people together making "two groups" into one? I said bandwagon fans -- that's one group. To all her die-hard fans I applaud anyone who sticks with her. But you are forgetting the larger issue; many of said people don't just see a Japanese player that lost a match (again), but have stopped seeing her as Japanese BECAUSE she lost.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

strangerland: And if you doubt that at all, where are her usual "supporters" today? I could name a few that have failed to show, but did that and my comment was edited. They are absent, because they are not actual fans. Period. These are the people that feel proud of themselves because what they think she can achieve for them in name... until she can't. Now, they are absent. If you don't see that, you're blind.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Dont hear much of her on the J news , wondering if shes still Japanese or just halfu now!?

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Just watched her cringe worthy postmatch press conference. She certainly isn't a very gracious loser and has a long way to go when it comes to maturity.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

USNinJapan2: "Just watched her cringe worthy postmatch press conference. She certainly isn't a very gracious loser and has a long way to go when it comes to maturity."

A lot of people do, apparently. Didn't see anyone in the media gleefully squealing for her to say things in Japanese. Did you? So, who's more mature?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

smith

Did I what? If you're referring to my former post, no I don't expect her to say anything in Japanese at a Wimbledon press conference, unless maybe if she was asked a question in Japanese by a Japanese reporter. My comment was a sarcastic one referring to her lack of fluency in Japanese despite being registered in the WTA as a Japanese player, which yes I find ironic. Regardless and unrelated, her behavior in said interview is inexcusable. You disagree?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Just two for her. I don't think she will ever win a Grand Slam since the last. All because of becoming pompous right after few seconds of fame.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

It's up to her to decide whether the coach was suited for her or not. Osaka-san was struggling since she changed the coach. That she cannot deny it. Her biggest test will be the US Open.

Currently, she doesn't know where the ball was going when she hit the ball. She cannot control the racket. Tennis balls are going everywhere outside the line. She has made bucket loads of unforced errors. Osaka-san looks like sleep walking person at the moment. There are many players who won the Grand Slam and disappear from the top rank. I hope not she was one of them.

I will put her into the US Open winner Samantha Stosur group. Osaka-San was a bit like Sam Stosur. Sam Stosur will make bucket loads of unforced errors and will lose to a player who was hundred ranks lower than her if she does not play well, Stosur will beat anyone when she plays well. I'll never put a cent on Sam Stour and Naomi Osaka if I were betting on a tennis match.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Absolutely appalling, immature behaviour in the post-match interview.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

You could see she totally gave up before the end of the first set. She may have a Japanese mother and Japanese sounding name but not one ounce of Japanese spirit!

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

She has had her 15 minutes of fame

15 minutes of fame? She has won 2 Grand Slams and reached world no. 1 in ranking. She has earned millions in prize money and sponsorships. This is many professional tennis players can only dream of doing.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

It's just the nature of world class sport.

Ups & downs come with the territory.

At the age of 21 - injuries withstanding - she'll be back.

Back to #1 - who knows, but she'll be back.

Different, but reminds of the attention Ozzie tennis player "Psycho Nick Kyrgios" gets.

Almost everyone has hard words for him as his behaviour certainly attracts it.

But he's not going anywhere - except on court.

People expected him to self-implode, throw in the towel and give up years ago.

Too mentally unstable they said. Too hot and cold in performances. Too many unforced errors.

Well he's still doing it.

Naomi isn't done.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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