Naomi Osaka cruises to Australian Open final, Serena Williams cries after loss: WATCH

Naomi Osaka is now just one win away from her fourth career Grand Slam title after beating Serena Williams in straight sets at the Australian Open 2021 women's semi-finals on Thursday. Osaka cruised to the final of the tournament by beating Williams in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 at the Rod Laver Arena. Osaka will face 22nd-seeded American Jennifer Brady for the championship on Saturday. Brady beat No. 25 Karolina Muchova 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the other semi-final.

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Osaka vs Williams: Dominant Osaka cruises to Australian Open final with win over Williams

Once again, Serena Williams came within reach of a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title, playing well enough to get to the closing days of a major tournament. However, the 39-year-old tennis legend couldn't quite get it done, as she was defeated 6-3, 6-4 by Naomi Osaka in the Australian Open semi-finals. Osaka, who beat Williams in the 2018 US Open final, reached her fourth major title match and stretched her winning streak to 20 matches by claiming the last eight points.

This was the high-profile matchup the entire tennis enthusiasts wanted when the women's singles draw was released, and it marked the fourth chapter in their head-to-head history. Osaka won two of the first three, including the 2018 US Open final. However, Williams won their most recent matchup in 2019 in Toronto and is dominant at the Australian Open with seven titles on her resume. Williams later followed her tearful news conference with a more upbeat message on Instagram. 

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Following the defeat, Williams was drawn to tears during her post-game press conference which sparked rumours that the six-time US Open champion might draw curtains on her trophy-laden career. When asked by a reporter whether she had a "bad day at the office", Serena replied, "I don’t know” before getting choked and standing up to exit. “I’m done,” she said through tears.

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Osaka vs Brady: Australian Open final live streaming

Thanks to her crushing win over Williams, Osaka will now face American Jennifer Brady for the Australian Open title on Saturday at 2 PM IST. Brady prevailed against Karolina Muchova 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the other semifinal on Thursday. 

In India, Australian Open will telecast live on the Sony SIX channels. The Sony Sports Network is the official broadcaster of the ongoing Australian Open. The Australian Open live streaming of the final between Osaka and Brady will be available on the SonyLIV app as well as on its website. 

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Image Credits - AP