N Osaka d. K Pliskova 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
Reigning US Open champion Naomi Osaka says the prospect of becoming world number is a "very big deal" as she prepares for Saturday's Australian Open final.
The 21-year-old is into her second grand slam final after a gruelling contest against a gritty Karolina Pliskova, where she prevailed in three set 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
It sets up a mouthwatering contest with another Czech, Petra Kvitova, with the winner to be crowned the new world number one.
But Osaka is taking it one step at a time.
" Yeah, I mean, of course that's a very big deal for me. It's one of the biggest goals that I had I guess playing the quarters, then hearing that it's possible," she said after the semi-final.
"For me, my main goal is winning this tournament. I think the ranking comes after that. I tend to do better if I focus on one goal."
After storming out of the gates in Thursday's semi-final and taking the first set 6-2, Osaka's dominance was thwarted by a brave Pliskova, who somehow managed to scrape the second set despite often being outgunned from the baseline.
"I kind of expected it a little because I've played her so many times," Osaka said on court after the match.
"I told myself to regroup in the third set and try my best no matter what and I managed to win."
Osaka, 21, belted 56 winners to Pliskova's 20 and 15 aces to four to confirm her spot in Saturday's final against another Czech in Petra Kvitova.
Things couldn't have started much better for the Japanese, whose pounding ground strokes were on song early.
Two crunching backhands down the line set up the first break of serve of the match in the third game and Osaka consolidated easily to race out to a 3-1 lead.
The 21-year-old was her typical aggressive self, going for the lines on both wings and Pliskova was blown out of the water midway through the opening set.
The Czech was clearly still feeling the effects of Wednesday's epic come-from-behind win over Serena Williams, a victory that will go down in tournament history.
She was sluggish with her footwork and her serve was considerably lacking in power.
With Osaka taking the first set 6-2 in a tick over half an hour, the signs were ominous.
But as she did the previous day, Pliskova found a way to keep herself in the contest for long enough.
And that was after Osaka broke her serve in the opening game of the second set.
Pliskova broke right back in the next game after a couple of errant shots from her younger opponent, then saving three break points at 1-1 to hold serve.
After a couple of relatively straightforward holds of serve, it was suddenly Pliskova who looked to have the edge.
She was digging in and Osaka was starting to tighten up.
Despite double faulting at 4-4 and 15-30, Pliskova again managed to hold and then, almost out of nowhere, Osaka found herself serving to stay in the set.
She failed dismally at that, with two poor shots bringing up three set points and Osaka was broken to love and she had let her opponent right back in the contest.
After holding serve in the opening game of the decisive set, Pliskova was doing what she was unable to the entire afternoon: read Osaka's serve.
She wasn't allowing the Japanese as much width, and found herself with three break points in the second game.
But Osaka, showing a calmness well beyond her years, saved all of them and held serve to the astonishment of Rod Laver Arena.
As the topsy-turvy contest continued, Osaka then broke to love and the momentum shifted well in her favour at 3-1.
Osaka tightened up again when serving at 4-3 to keep her break, but held serve in the eighth game and then the 10th game to confirm her spot in the final.
While it was a gallant effort from Pliskova, the statistics indicate Osaka was the better player.
On top of her power game, she was extremely accurate, serving at 81 per cent on her first serve for the match, 12 per cent better than her opponent.
After the match, Osaka said she was savouring the moment.
"This is, like, a place where I think is worth all the training.
"When you're little, you watch the Grand Slams, you watch all the players play, like, the legendary matches here.
"For me, this is the most important tournament. There's only four of them a year, so of course I want to do the best that I can here."
