Osaka Comes Through Kvitova Epic To Seal Australian Open Glory
Petra Kvitova was denied a fairytale victory in the Australian Open final as Naomi Osaka triumphed for the second grand slam in a row.
Naomi Osaka's stunning rise continued as she overcame a dramatic second-set wobble to beat Petra Kvitova in a magnificent Australian Open women's singles final, securing her second successive grand slam title and the WTA's number-one ranking.
Osaka had three championship points as Kvitova served at 3-5, 0-40 in set two, but the Japanese was pegged back in sensational fashion inside Rod Laver Arena.
However, having appeared increasingly emotional as her rival reeled off four successive games to force a decider, Osaka dug deep to regain the upper hand and eventually triumphed 7-6 (7-2) 5-7 6-4 in a truly captivating contest.
The 21-year-old saw her maiden slam victory, at last year's US Open, overshadowed by Serena Williams' extraordinary row with chair umpire Carlos Ramos, with boos from the crowd leaving Osaka in tears during the post-match presentation.
Yet there was nothing to dampen Osaka's celebrations on this occasion, after she extended her winning streak at the highest level to 14 matches and became the first woman since Jennifer Capriati in 2001 to follow up her first slam success by winning the next major.
The new world number one's status as the brightest young star in tennis can be in no doubt.
Kvitova, the Wimbledon champion of 2011 and 2014, had been looking to secure a fairytale win, just over two years on from sustaining career-threatening injuries to her left hand in a knife attack at her home.
The Czech had not dropped a set at Melbourne Park prior to facing Osaka and boasted a fantastic record in finals, but she was denied on this occasion despite showing tremendous character.
