Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, UAE

[1] Naomi Osaka (JPN) vs. [67] Kristina Mladenovic (FRA)

For the second consecutive year, Osaka faced Mladenovic in Dubai; however, this time there would be no domination by the Japanese player. Mladenovic seems to have recovered the form that once saw her ranked as high as number ten. She broke Osaka immediately and then broke again at the end of the set to win the first set 6-3.

OSAKA WAS OUT OF SYNC

Nothing was working for the number one ranked female player. What usually would be a winner when she is in form was an error today. Mladenovic served better and played smarter tennis, being patient to wait for the appropriate moment to go for her shots. Frazzled and not playing her best, Osaka tried to hit the felt off every ball; unfortunately, the majority went long or wide. The internal tension seeped out a bit when she went down on her knees and covered her face with her hands, she was unhappy with the way she was playing, and she never found her top form.

MLADENOVIC PLAYED WITH CONVICTION

There was minimal evidence of the player of a few months ago, who struggled to win matches; today the French woman was focused and executed her game plan almost to perfection. She served and volleyed well and utilized the drop shot effectively to completely disrupt further the rhythm of her opponent. Despite being broken in each set, she immediately broke back as her opponent struggled all match with her serve.

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL COMPONENT

The stress of being ranked number one showed in the poor performance of Osaka. She played no where close to her potential and she was so tense, it affected every aspect of her game. To make things worse, she was playing without a coach after she recently ended her relationship with her coach, Sascha Bajin. Aware of her opponent’s inner turmoil, Mladenovic simply focused on her game and avenged last year’s loss with the 6-3, 6-3 defeat of Osaka.

SOURCE OF MAIN IMAGE: Zimbio.com (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images AsiaPac: Kristina Mladenovic)