Serena Williams vs Naomi Osaka – again

Serena Williams hasn’t won an event this year, but over the next five weeks she has an opportunity to raise her game, and perhaps, she can win Toronto this week.

If she does, who knows? Will the 37- year-old will be healthy or not? Will she start hitting her massive serves, her deep and hard forehand and backhand, and nail her returns.

However, it has not been a great year. She has been hurt a lot and she hasn’t won an tournament in 2019. She did reach the 2019 Wimbledon final, but Simona Halep cracked her easily.

But before that, Serena won so many events since she started playing in 1997. That is over 22 years ago. It is a very long time, but not too long for her because she just wants to play tennis. She can get angry, but she can also be peaceful. She absolutely has to.

On Thursday, Serena beats Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in straight sets. Now she has to face against the two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka on Friday. Of course, almost everyone remembers that the Japanese/American upsetting Serena 6-2, 6-4 in the 2018 US Open final. Serena went out of control, yelling, and Osaka was so lethal in the last game. Minutes later, Osaka wept during the ceremony, but Serena said some very nice words. They became friends. They probably always will.

The former No. 1 Osaka hasn’t played great, either, but she is an amazing player, when she is locked in. But this year, she can scatter. If she can win Toronto, then she walk into the US Open and push herself.

Can Osaka beat the 23-Grand Slam-champ Serena again? As Osaka said: “Every Serena match is once-in-a-lifetime.” Well, close. For both of them, they both have huge weapons and they will go for it, almost immediately. We hope there an extraordinary contest.

NOTES
Caro Wozniacki lost early again, and I am not sure why she isn’t playing well. She has been around for a long time, she did win the 2018 Australian Open, plus she has grabbed a number of big titles. Either she is still hurt, or she isn’t happy…

The Canadian Bianca Andreescu won on Thursday, and finally she feels much better on court. So many people get injured, all the time, and it was been going on for years and years. Hopefully, the young Andreescu will stay healthy.

The strong Elina Svitolina crushed Belinda Bencic, so perhaps she is feeling comfortable again and smarter? She did before … American Sofia Kenin has been a bit up and  down, but she is only 20-year-old, so pretty soon, she will proceed.

In Montreal, there should be a fun match, with Rafa Nadal against Fabio Fognini. Nadal leads 11-4, but Fognini did shock him at the 2015 US Open, and in April at Monte Carlo, the Italian won 6-4, 6-2. However, Nadal has beaten him a lot, on clay and hardcourts. They know each other very well, but Nadal is very wary.

“He’s having a great season, one of the best of his career, if not the best,” Nadal said. “I need to be playing well.” They both do.