We were waiting for a shocking poster. We had the right to do so. But only in small moments. Caroline Garcia and Naomi Osaka had a rollercoaster battle, between a Frenchwoman who was still as irregular as ever with a racquet in hand, and a Japanese woman who was inevitably lacking rhythm after her fifteen months off from tennis.
But in this game, the best used to managing these kinds of moments takes precedence. It was the Frenchwoman who was already playing her 7th match of the season (against only 3 for Osaka after her long absence) who came out on top in two tight sets (6-4, 7-6) in this 1st round match of the Australian Open. And yet the match flew by, as fast as winners and unforced errors flew over a packed Rod Laver Arena for the final match of the night in Melbourne.
From the start of the match, Garcia applied his ultra-attacking game plan, already seen and revised last season, to the letter to take time from Osaka. A time that the world number 831 needed for her return to the courts in Grand Slams. The result was a first break at 2-2, before already going to win the first set, without any break points to save against her. Osaka, on the other hand, made a lot of unforced errors (15 in the first set alone!) but slowly grew stronger.
Garcia with an amazing return to set up a 'sneak attack' on Osaka đź‘Ź
Garcia takes the first set against Osaka, 6-4 âś…
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The start of the second set then became much more interesting, with both players at their best at the same time. Rod Laver stood up several times on a half-volley forehand from Garcia's baseline, which Osaka dared to respond to a few minutes later with an ace on second ball... Before taking some time to open a book at the change of sides at 2-1.
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But as the set progressed and the reading was put aside, the two fighters tensed up, giving way to a more random spectacle where rallies from the back of the court were very rare. Like this game at 4-4 where the Frenchwoman was able to send a winning return at 133 km/h, as well as two stupid unforced errors at the beginning of the rally, again on the forehand.
Against her two outstanding waitresses, unable to escape a tie-break to decide the fate of this second set. Always ultra-offensive and impeccable on serve, Garcia delivered a masterful end to the match against an Osaka who was overwhelmed this time and never in the game to win 7 points to 2, and already make an appointment with the 2nd round.