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MELBOURNE, Australia — Naomi Osaka defeated Petra Kvitova, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-4, on Saturday to win the Australian Open and become the first Japanese player to attain the No. 1 singles ranking in women’s tennis.
It was the second consecutive major title for the fourth-seeded Osaka, 21, who defeated Serena Williams in straight sets at the United States Open in September. The last woman to win back-to-back Grand Slam singles titles was Williams, who claimed the first three majors in 2015.
Unlike at the United States Open, where Osaka lost only one set on her way to winning the title, she was extended to three sets in three of her first six matches in Melbourne: by Hsieh Su-Wei in the third round, Anastasija Sevastova in the fourth and Karolina Pliskova in the semifinals.