Indian Wells, March 19: omi Osaka from Japan captured her first career title, the 2018 BNP Paribas Open women’s tennis singles champion, with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Daria Kasatki of Russia.
The hard hitting 20-year-old Japanese was in control of the fil and became the youngest champion at the event on Sunday, a WTA Premier Mandatory event, since A Ivanovic in 2008, reports Xinhua news agency.
“omi Osaka is the first unseeded champion - and first player to win seven matches - in Indian Wells since Kim Clijsters in 2005,” BNP Paribas Open tweeted after the 70- minute match, which was seen as a next-gen battle of future women’s champions.
Before the fil, Osaka had defeated Maria Sharapova, Agnieszka Radwanska, Karoli Pliskova and Simo Halep during these past two weeks in Tennis Paradise.
The world No. 44 took away the 1.3 million U.S. dollars winner’s check, nearly doubling her career earnings. She’s projected to rise to world No. 22 in Monday’s new WTA rankings. The world No. 19 Kasatki also had a run to remember in Indian Wells this year, beating Sloane Stephens, Caroline Wozniacki, Angelique Kerber and Venus Williams consecutively, all top 20 foes and all Grand Slam champions. Kasatki will rise eight spots to No. 11 in the rankings. IANS