AUCKLAND, New Zealand – The Japanese Naomi Osaka (57th in the world) qualified for the final of the ATP 250 tournament in Auckland by beating the American Alycia Parks 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday, and will compete on Sunday against the Danish Clara Tauson, winner of the American Robin Montgomery, her first title since the Australian Open in 2021.
After a long break of just over a year during which she gave birth to her daughter Shai in July 2023, the four-time Grand Slam winner has been back in competition for a year.
The former world number one played her first semi-final on the WTA circuit on Saturday since April 2022 and the Miami tournament. Precise and powerful, concentrated, she obtained a clear victory against Alycia Parks (78th in the world), without showing the slightest sign of nervousness, taking her opponent’s serve twice in each set.
To his credit, Park played his second match of the day, after his quarter, scheduled for Friday and postponed due to rain.
“I’m obviously very, very happy, I’ve never played a final a week before the Australian Open in my career,” she said. “But there are always things to improve, whatever your age,” added the player who, certainly, reached the final in Auckland, but having only beaten players lower ranked than her.
Which will not be the case in the final, where she will face Clara Tauson, 50th in the WTA rankings.
