Australian Open 2019: Naomi Osaka survives Su-Wei Hsieh scare by finally trusting in her own game

The reigning US Open champion nearly became the next big-name victim to fall to the Taiwanese but rallied to find her way into the fourth round in Melbourne

Naomi Osaka is already a Grand Slam champion at 21 but knows she still has plenty to learn. The world No 4 gave herself an important lesson here at the Australian Open on Saturday as she worked out a way to beat Su-Wei Hsieh, whose unorthodox style has brought down many a top name.

Hsieh stands just 5ft 7in tall and is so slight that she looks in danger of being blown over in a stiff wind, but the 33-year-old Taiwanese has a habit of drawing opponents into her spider’s web of canny spins and slices, devilish drop shots and bewitching variations of pace. Simona Halep, Garbine Muguruza, Agnieszka Radwanska, Jelena Ostapenko and Johanna Konta are among those who have lost their way against the world No 27 in recent Grand Slam tournaments.

For a set and a half Osaka looked in danger of joining them as Hsieh chopped and spun her way to a 7-5, 3-0 lead. Osaka, one of the game’s sweetest ball-strikers, even resorted to taking pace off her shots and looping the ball high over the net, only for Hsieh to prove that, given the opportunity, she can win points with power as well as panache.

Thankfully for her many supporters, Osaka finally realised that she had to trust in her own game, though an unexpected breakdown in Hsieh’s serve also helped the US Open champion’s comeback. Osaka won 11 of the last 12 games to win the match 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 and earn a fourth-round meeting with Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova.

“She hits very differently to everyone else,” Osaka said afterwards. “I can never really tell where she's going to put the ball. She hits down the line and then hits a weird cross-court. It's very, very hard to have a rally with her.

“She didn’t miss. She ran everything down. I just felt like she was playing too well and I had to wait. For me, it’s a bit difficult to do that, because my patience isn’t so great, but I just felt like I had to trust myself. I did a lot of running in my off-season training, so I just felt like I had to trust my athleticism.

“I walked into the match knowing that she was going to do a lot of strange things, with no offense. But she was just playing so well and I think I got overwhelmed. Then early in the second set I tried doing things that I know isn't necessarily my game, like I was trying to hit higher balls. I don’t even practise doing that. So it felt like such a waste.

“Then after a while, I just started thinking: ‘I'm in a Grand Slam. I shouldn't be sad, I'm playing against a really great player, so I should just enjoy my time and try and put all my energy into doing the best that I can on every point.’

“I'm happy with how I fought. For me, that's one of the biggest things I always thought I could improve, because it seems like before I would accept defeat in a way. Last year I didn't have a good record of winning after losing the first set.”

She added: “Of course it gives me confidence to be able to win like this. I was two games from losing the match, so I think being able to come back and fight is something that I have been attempting to do for a while, but I haven't really been able to grasp the emotions to do it. So winning like this gives me confidence.”

Naomi Osaka beat Su-Wei Hsieh to reach the Australian Open fourth round (AFP/Getty Images)

Osaka won her first two matches this week in straight sets in 58 minutes and 65 minutes, but had proved in her first tournament of the season that she can fight back from adversity. In Brisbane two weeks ago she recovered from a set down to beat Sevastova, who will again be her opponent here on Monday.

Sevastova, who beat China’s Wang Qiang 6-3, 6-3, has equalled her best performance here by reaching the last 16. She stands at 2-2 in her head-to-head record with Osaka.

Serena Williams continued to power her way through the draw. The seven-times champion, who beat the 18-year-old Ukrainian, Dayana Yastremska, 6-2, 6-1, has dropped only nine games in her first three matches.

Serena Williams consoles a tearful Dayana Yastremska after their third-round encounter (EPA)

Yastremska, who was making her debut here and was playing in only her second Grand Slam tournament, beat Sam Stosur and Carla Suarez Navarro in her first two matches but the world No 57 found herself overpowered. She took a medical time-out because of an ankle injury during the second set and was in tears at the end.

“As she was walking towards the net, I could tell she was quite upset,” Williams said afterwards. “I kind of liked that. It shows she wasn't just there to play a good match. She was there to win. She wanted to win. That really broke my heart.”

The reward for Williams will be a fourth-round meeting with Simona Halep, who brushed aside the challenge of the American’s sister, Venus, winning 6-2, 6-3 with her best performance of the week. The world No 1 struggled in her first two matches here, having arrived without a victory since August and after parting company with her coach, Darren Cahill, who wanted to spend more time with his family.

Halep has lost eight of her nine meetings with Serena, though they have not played each other for three years. The Romanian’s only victory came in the year-ending WTA Finals in 2014.

“It's going to be huge challenge for me,” Halep said. “It's always great to play against Serena because every time I have to learn something from the match. I will have to be smart, aggressive. I have to move her and give my best. I will not super-think about this because there is nothing to think. I just need to go out there and play naturally and with confidence.”

Halep will face Serena Williams in the fourth round after defeating her sister Venus (EPA)

Halep admitted she had found Serena an intimidating opponent in the past but insisted: “Now I don't feel intimidated any more. I have huge respect for her because she's a great champion, but she's just an opponent in the next round."

Garbine Muguruza, whose victory over Johanna Konta finished after 3am on Friday, showed no after-effects following her late finish and eased to a 7-6, 6-2 victory over Timea Bacsinszky.

Elina Svitolina, the No 6 seed, overcame Zhang Shuai and a troublesome shoulder injury to secure her place in the last 16. Svitolina, who beat Zhang 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, had treatment throughout the match. Zhang led 3-0 in the final set before Svitolina fought back to win five games in a row and secure victory after two hours and 55 minutes.

Elina Svitolina beat Shuai Zhang to reach the fourth round (EPA)

The Ukrainian said after the match that she had suffered with the shoulder problem before. “I have one day off till my next match,” she said. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Svitolina will now take on Madison Keys, who beat Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-2. Keys, who is through to the second week here for the fourth time in her career, has reached the semi-finals or better at three of the last five Grand Slam tournaments.