Naomi Osaka came back from an 0-2 hole to beat Serena Williams, her idol, in straight sets to book her place in the 2021 Australian Open final.
World No. 3 Osaka beat the 23-time Grand Slam singles winner 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 15 minutes.
However, what she said in her post match interview was very interesting.
Osaka revealed that she broke her tradition of eating Japanese food on the eve of a match. Instead she ate Greek food.
“Then I went to sleep and I woke up and Tsitsi (Greek player Stefanos Tsitsipas) beat Nadal and I thought maybe this is a sign, maybe I should keep eating Greek food.”
She also admitted that she was “nervous and scared in the beginning" of the match against her childhood idol.
"Then I sort of eased my way into it. For me, I think the biggest thing is just having fun and it’s the first day having the crowd in a while... it’s always an honour to play her. I just didn’t want to go out like really bad, so I just wanted to try my best."
The Japanese tennis player moves into the final against either Jennifer Brady or Karolina Muchova.
Meanwhile, Tsitsipas will face Russian Daniil Medvedev for a spot in the Australian Open final.
Yes, you will be smiling that much too when you try Stalactites’ limited edition ‘Tsitsipas Souvlaki’.
Melbourne’s famous Greek eatery Stalactites has once again teamed up with Greece’s star Stefanos Tsitsipas to re-launch their limited edition souvlaki.
100% of this year’s sales will assist those affected by COVID-19 and food insecurity.
The limited-edition souvlaki is available from today, Monday 1 February until Wednesday 24 February.
“I feel at home in Melbourne and I love being welcomed by the Greek community here” Tsitsipas said.
"All throughout quarantine I’d been craving a Stalactites souvlaki so I’m excited to finally be here with my team and family,” he added.
Donations will be split amongst two charities –Melbourne based charity SecondBite and ‘Together for the Children’, a charity close to Tsitsipas’ heart back in Greece.
