Osaka and Tauson face off in long-awaited WTA final in Auckland

After rain disrupted the ASB Classic schedule on Friday, a busy day in Auckland concluded with the long-awaited return of Naomi Osaka and Clara Tauson to the final of the WTA individual draw.

Former world number one Osaka validated her place in the final with a convincing 6-4, 6-2 victory over Alycia Parks. In just 1 hour and 11 minutes, Osaka eliminated Parks, reaching her first final since being runner-up to Iga Swiatek in Miami 2022.

For her part, Tauson ended a longer wait, reaching her first final on the tour since 2021, after defeating first-timer Robin Montgomery in the WTA semi-finals with a score of 6-4, 6 -3 Saturday.

No. 7 seed Osaka will face No. 5 seed Tauson to win the WTA 250 title on Sunday. This will be the first meeting between these two powerful hitters.

“I had never reached the final of a tournament the week before Melbourne, so this is a first for me,” Osaka, a two-time Australian Open champion, said on court. “I am very happy to see that there are always things to improve, no matter how old you are.”

Although Osaka was down 3-1 in the first set, she rallied and reeled off four consecutive games to take a 5-3 lead. Parks responded with an ace to make it 5-4 and earned two break points in the next game, but Osaka showed her determination and secured victory in the first set.

Serving for the match at 5-2 in the deciding set, Osaka faced a series of powerful hits from Parks, finding herself trailing 0-40. However, her exceptional service got her out of this delicate situation, allowing her to conclude with a solid backhand.

“I was just trying to survive,” Osaka said. “ [Parks] was hitting some incredible shots and I couldn’t help but think, ‘Give him one more ball to play, try to get lucky.’ I know I had a ball in the net that I really needed, so I feel sorry for her, but I needed it! “.

This week marks her first WTA semi-final and final since returning from maternity leave 12 months ago. Osaka is now one win away from claiming her first title since her fourth Grand Slam victory at the 2021 Australian Open.

Parks, for her part, was playing in her first WTA semi-final since winning her first singles title in Lyon almost two years ago. She began her day by winning a rain-delayed quarterfinal against fellow American Katie Volynets, 6-1, 6-4.

Regarding Tauson, the former junior world number one had won two WTA titles and been an additional runner-up during her big 2021 season, but hadn’t had the chance to play for another WTA trophy since. That all changed after Tauson won two matches on Saturday. First, the Dane beat number one seed Madison Keys in the quarterfinals, 6-4, 7-6 (7). This match, postponed due to rain, was resumed with Tauson in the lead 6-4, 3-4.

Tauson then continued her momentum in the semi-final against another American, Montgomery. She had 14 break points during the match, breaking Montgomery’s serve four times to pave the way to Sunday’s final.

“I really worked hard to get back to this level after a lot of injuries, so I’m very happy with this result,” Tauson said after her victory. “Robin is an excellent player and I think we played a great match today. I’m happy I kept calm and won.”

“It’s been a few years since I’ve been in a final like this. I will try to make the most of this moment.”