Seventh seed Naomi Osaka discusses her come-from-behind victory over Hailey Baptiste in the ASB Classic quarter-finals.
After Naomi Osaka watched the ace fly off her racket, there was a fist pump, then a brief smile of satisfaction.
As the applause rang out, the former world No 1 then turned to her coaching box with a contented grin.
Osaka was into the last four of the 2025 ASB Classic after a hard-fought, three-set win over American Hailey Baptiste, punctuated by rain delays and some erratic moments for the Japanese star.
The 27-year-old has scaled incredible heights in her career, achieving almost everything you can in the sport – grand slams, world No 1, lighting the Olympic flame - but it was clear that this 6-7(2), 6-1, 6-2 victory meant a lot.
After a 15-month break for the birth of her daughter, this was the first time she had reached a WTA semifinal since her return to the sport in January last year and the delight was obvious.
”Honestly, I’m really happy,” said Osaka. “For me, I struggled a lot last year with not producing results and to just come out with a bang in the very beginning of the year in the first tournament, it, for me, proves [something]. I don’t want to say last year wasn’t for nothing, but it’s like a continuation of the growth.”
There were positive signs in 2024 – as she climbed from being unranked to No 58 – but without the statement result Osaka was seeking, at least by her standards. She will face bigger tests this year – on grander stages – but Auckland has been fulfilling so far, especially since she was coming off a long competitive lay-off, with her last match in early October.
On Saturday she could reach her first final in more than 1000 days, since the 2022 decider in Miami, though she’ll need further improvement to get close to the trophy.
There have been glimpses of magic here, interspersed with flat periods, when the rhythm disappears, much to her frustration. That was evident during Friday’s first set. Osaka was broken, broke back, then fell apart in the tiebreak, losing six of the final seven points.
It was time for a reset and as she sat down during the changeover, Osaka pulled out a pink notebook and began to write. This wasn’t the script – especially against the world No 92 Baptiste, who was coming off a three-hour battle that didn’t end until nearly 11pm on Thursday. Osaka is a deep thinker but the message scrawled was simple: stick to your guns – and your game plan.
”It doesn’t really make sense to anyone but me, but I was just basically trying to tell myself that no matter what happens to play the way that I want to play in Melbourne [at the Australian Open],” said Osaka. “Just keep trying to go for the shots that I know that I’ll have to make there.”
Naomi Osaka waves to the crowd after her win against Hailey Baptiste. Photo / Photosport
Osaka was rewarded for her persistence, coming back stronger over the next two sets, on the back of some crunching groundstrokes. She was also fortunate that Baptiste, who had a medical timeout at the end of the second set, began to feel the effects of her Thursday marathon.
”I didn’t know who I was going to play when I woke up, so I had to check,” said Osaka. “That’s what made me aware that their match was so late at night. So I knew it was to my advantage - the longer that it went.”
Both players had to cope with more rain delays, though the four-time major winner shrugged them off.
”I’m kind of used to it here now,” said Osaka. “I just try to tell myself to keep my momentum going and try not to stay too rigid or still.”
Osaka didn’t look happy during the first set, struggling to find her range. She was hesitant and frustrated, knowing what she wanted to do but not always able to execute, especially on serve.
Things turned midway through the second set; a big backhand, followed by a shout of “C’mon”, before she reeled off four points in a row to consolidate her break for a 4-1 lead.
In the final set, Osaka began to find her combinations, dragging Baptiste from side to side. The American tried everything – varying her pace and depth – but there was to be no turnaround.
Earlier on Friday, world No 117 Robin Montgomery continued her exciting run with a 6-4, 6-4 win over compatriot Bernarda Pera (No 71) in 1h16m. The 20-year-old arrived in Auckland with no expectations but has progressed to her first WTA semifinal, where she will play either Madison Keys or Clara Tauson.
”It means a lot,” said Montgomery, who was ranked No 195 this time last year. “It’s like a stepping stone in my career. Obviously I hope to have a long career and so I hope it’s the first of many.”
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns.
