Osaka vs Andreescu: 's-Hertogenbosch QF Analysis (WTA 250)
In a match that went the distance, the outcome was decided by short points.
cover 📸 credit: WTA Tour twitter
Nearly five years after their only previous meeting, Bianca Andreescu defeated Naomi Osaka in a deciding set tie-break to avenge her loss at the 2019 China Open.
Andreescu forged her win in short rallies.
The only break of the opening set arrived after Andreescu hit 1 return winner and another 2 returns that forced errors.
In the final set tie-break, Osaka missed 4 “+1” shots, including 3 in the last 3 points.
Overall, Andreescu had an 11-point (73-62) edge in the 0-4 shot rally length. This sizable advantage was crucial to counter Osaka’s superiority in points that lasted 5+ shots (36-21).
Rally Length Points Won
0-4 Shots: Osaka 62 / Andreescu 73
5-8 Shots: Osaka 29 / Andreescu 16
9+ Shots: Osaka 7 / Andreescu 5
Just like it happened in Roland Garros against Iga Swiatek, Osaka lost despite winning more points in the match. Her firepower was on display once more as she finished with 4 more aces, 11 more winners and 7 more forcing shots during rallies. But she ended up penalized by unforced errors at inopportune times.
Andreescu was the opposite. She limited unforced errors to 12, 17 less than Osaka, and was masterful at introducing variety during baseline exchanges. The Canadian was a perfect 5-for-5 when attempting a drop shot and won 9 of 11 net approaches (82%).
Our analysis focused on short rallies.