MELBOURNE, Australia — Entertainment options are limited in a lockdown, but Naomi Osaka had concrete plans for her Tuesday night. “I always watch Serena play,” Osaka said. The Serena Williams she will face Thursday is a legend suddenly in sync with her distant past. The veteran competitor on display in a near-empty Rod Laver Arena bore little resemblance to the Williams that Osaka beat in straight sets in the 2018 United States Open final or to the one that Halep humbled in the 2019 Wimbledon final. If Osaka dreamed of facing Williams at her best here, she fell asleep happy.

Source: New York Times February 16, 2021 13:46 UTC