INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — The lighthearted tweener tutorial is over. That was last week. Now it is on to much weightier tennis matters for Daria Kasatkina and Naomi Osaka when they next share a court.
Both long shots for the title upon arrival, they are now the last women left in singles in this increasingly prestigious event here at Indian Wells, which many players rank behind only the Grand Slam tournaments and the year-end tour finals.
“Well, it feels a little bit lonely because there’s, like, nobody here,” the unseeded Osaka said late on Friday after sweeping the final nine games of her semifinal against Simona Halep, ranked No.