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MIAMI GARDENS, Florida – In a short time on Saturday afternoon, the Miami Open has lost two of its biggest attractions – to keep a third. The first, Naomi Osaka, lost her third-round match, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 to the 27th seed, Hsieh Su-wei. Midway through the game against Osaka, eight-time tournament champion Serena Williams pulled out unexpectedly, citing a left knee injury.
Osaka, who emerged as the sport's best favorite, had won 63 consecutive games by winning the first set, which dates back to 2016. Osaka also led early in the third set, 2-0, before Hsieh leveled 4 – 3 driving, she did not let go. Hsieh, a clever 33-year-old veteran, sealed the victory at his first match point, hitting an air crash that Osaka blocked at the back and then finished the point with an inalienable slice volley.
Osaka had beaten Hsieh earlier this year in the third round of the Australian Open, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1. Hsieh used his unorthodox game of jabs and feints to build a reputation as a giant killer; she then knocked-no. Simona Halep of the third round of Wimbledon last year.
"It's always a pleasure to progress in the game," said Hsieh during his interview. "Whenever you are successful and you have beaten a good player, you have the impression" Wow, that's all. It's so amazing, and I did it. "
Osaka, in her typically introspective manner, admitted that she had "overestimated" in several ways, for example thinking that she could afford to turn on and off her intensity during matches. and judging how much she had exerted the pressure necessary to hold the No. 1. ranking.
"I thought I'd get by with that, but I guess I'm not," said Osaka, who has a 3-3 record since coming into first place, which she could lose depending on results of the other best players of this event. . "I'm not thinking about winning now."
Williams, seeded 10th, who won the last Miami Open in 2015, had to face Wang Qiang, 18th seed, in a third round match Sunday. Wang receives a pass in the fourth round, where she will wait for the winner between Wang Yafan and Danielle Collins, 25th seed.
It was the third consecutive tournament in which Williams' body had dropped her before her racket. Williams, 37, was forced to retire midway through her second game in Indian Wells, California earlier this month due to a viral illness. In the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in January, Williams led Karolina Pliskova, 5-1, in the third set, when she twisted her ankle at the end of the match. Although she had more chances of match points, her injury was particularly clogging Williams' service, causing her to lose the next 10 points in her service matches.
After receiving a pass in the first round of the Miami Open, Williams survived the second-round second round match against Rebecca Peterson, ranked 63rd on Friday afternoon. She had not appeared cluttered by her knee, although she had encountered the blinding glare that shone on her side of the field during part of the match, passing through the holes of the Hard Rock Stadium which hosts the tennis for the first time. Williams survived with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-1 win but was not happy with his performance.
"I just have to move on and really focus on playing better – or not being in the tournament," Williams said in his post-game press conference.
Osaka will play for the next time at the WTA tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, in April, but it is unclear where Williams will play next. The next mandatory competition for the best players is the Madrid Open in May, although Williams has not played since 2015. Williams did not participate in any clay court tournament before the French Open last year. . had gained during and after pregnancy.
This type of selectivity in scheduling, which has long held a prominent place in Williams' career, has increased in recent years as it focuses more and more on Grand Slam events.
In the men's draw, Roger Federer avoided being a third high-level casualty in the Saturday tournament, when he rallied to defeat Moldova Radu Albot, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 . Federer, 37, confused his tactics with Albot, who won the ATP tournament at Delray Beach last month.
"It seemed very clear to me and I was not," Federer said. "In the heat of the moment, I started to forget stuff that my coach also told me."
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