Western and Southern Open: Naomi Osaka cruise into finals after agreeing to play again

Naomi Osaka will lock horns with Victoria Azarenka in the final of the Western and Southern Open after the fourth seed from Japan defeated 14th-seed Elise Mertens 6-2 7-6 (7-5).

Naomi Osaka had she realized she would have to “take the first step” in protest against racial inequality and “create awareness in the tennis bubble“.

She had initially pull out of her semi-final clash with Elise Mertens at the Western and Southern Open because “as a black woman I feel there are much more important matters at hand“.

Tournament organisers then showed solidarity and suspended play in New York on Thursday, one of a number of sporting events in the US to do so in protest at the shooting of Jacob Blake – a black man who was shot seven times in the back by police on Sunday in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The Japanese tennis star decided to play again on Friday after which she beat Belgium’s Elise Mertens 6-2 7-6 (7-5) in her rearranged semi-final.

“I honestly didn’t even think it would be that big of a deal,” says Osaka, who wore a Black Lives Matter t-shirt as she walked on to court.

“I always thought it would be nice if someone started in tennis. I’m more of a follower. I was waiting and waiting and then I realised I was the one who was going to have to take the first step.

“I just wanted to create awareness in the tennis bubble. I think I did my job, I guess.”

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In Saturday’s final Osaka will play Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka, who defeated Britain’s Johanna Konta 4-6 6-4 6-1.

The 2018 US Open champion, playing in her first tournament since January’s Australian Open, said after her win over Mertens: “For me it’s been a little bit stressful, I couldn’t really sleep last night so I’m really glad I was able to play at a pretty good level.

“I’m really glad I didn’t mentally collapse. I was down a break in the second and I got really tight in the tie-break so really glad I didn’t just dip.”