<figure id="attachment_2953031" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2953031" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-2953031" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/ea233d3b-ap25004255050449.webp" alt="New Zealand Tennis" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-2953031" class="wp-caption-text">Naomi Osaka&#8217;s four wins this week have come against opponents ranked below her. (Photosport/AP pic)</figcaption></figure>
AUCKLAND: Former world No 1 Naomi Osaka reached her first final since 2022 today as she swept aside unseeded American Alycia Parks at the Auckland Classic.
The four-time Grand Slam champion from Japan won 6-4, 6-2 in another confidence boost ahead of the Australian Open starting on Jan 12 in Melbourne.
Osaka was contesting her first semifinal since 2022, having taken a break from tennis and becoming a mother in 2023.
She returned to the sport a year ago.
The 27-year-old showed no sign of the nerves that had marked her first three wins in Auckland, producing a clinical performance to set up a final tomorrow against Clara Tauson of Denmark.
&#8220;Of course I&#8217;m really happy to get to the final here, I&#8217;ve actually never got to a final a week before Melbourne so this is like a career first for me,&#8221; said Osaka, a two-time Australian Open champion now ranked 57th.
&#8220;In my head I&#8217;m really happy. But there&#8217;s always constantly things to improve to get better, no matter how old you are.&#8221;
Osaka&#8217;s power and precision proved too much for the 78th-ranked Parks.
The American faded in what was her second match of the day, having had her quarterfinal pushed back by rain yesterday.
Osaka&#8217;s four wins this week have come against opponents ranked below her at a tournament lacking a strong field.
That will change in the final against 50th-ranked Tauson, who beat unseeded American Robin Montgomery 6-4, 6-3 in the other semifinal.
Earlier in the day, Tauson toppled American top seed Madison Keys 6-4, 7-6(9/7) in a quarterfinal that was interrupted by rain last night.

MatchPoint Times

Osaka into first final since 2022 ahead of Aussie Open

The 27-year-old returned to tennis a year ago having taken a break after becoming a mother.

Forest beat Wolves for sixth straight Premier League win

Dollar down in choppy trade on Trump tariff confusion