Naomi Osaka from Japan sits with a towel on her head after loosing the first set 6-0 to Maria Sakkari from Greece in the quarter-finals at the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. Sakkari defeated Osaka in straight sets to advance to the semi-finals. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY MIA20210331104 GARYxIxROTHSTEIN
Naomi Osaka was in for a shock as she got a bagel in her loss to Maria Sakkari at the 2021 Miami Open
Naomi Osaka seemed confident of reaching the 2021 Miami Open semi-final as she took on 23rd seed Maria Sakkari of Greece.
Osaka had been in exceptional form this year and had won the 2021 Australian Open in dominant fashion.
However, things just didn’t click for the Japanese-American star at all. Sakkari was all over Osaka right from the first set and even handed her higher-ranked rival a bagel.
Sakkari won the first set 6-0 and Osaka made several errors in that clash. However, the Australian Open champion came roaring back in the second set to go up 3-0.
Things seemed to be back on track after that shock first set but Osaka was unable to close out the set. Sakkari picked up another huge win in her career as she won the second set 6-4 and marched to the semi finals of the Miami Open.
Osaka was brutally honest in her post-match interview and claimed she hadn’t been playing well. She also lauded her rival, Sakkari, for doing a great job on the court.
Sakkari also won the first set in just under 20 minutes and this was the first time Osaka had taken a bagel since her last loss which came 23 matches ago.
Osaka’s 23-match winning streak came to an end and her previous loss was a 6-0, 6-3 loss at the BJK Cup in February 2020.
This would have come as a shock to many but Sakkari has a win or two over Osaka in the past. Many fans were also left shocked at how this match ended and some questioned Osaka’s mentality.
Others claimed that she just wasn’t in the game from the start, and here are some reactions from social media after the loss for Osaka.
Follow our dedicated Tennis page for instant Tennis news and updates
