It was an agonising two hours and 27 minutes but Japanese tennis fans burst into tears and shouts of joy Saturday as Naomi Osaka sealed…
It was an agonising two hours and 27 minutes but Japanese tennis fans burst into tears and shouts of joy Saturday as Naomi Osaka sealed her second straight Grand Slam.
Supporters in a packed Tokyo bar had a rollercoaster ride watching the action from the Australian Open final as their heroine Osaka contrived to give up three Championship points in the second set.
But as Osaka claimed victory and sunk to her knees in triumph and disbelief, fans let out the pent-up emotion following a thrilling see-saw battle with eighth seed Petra Kvitova from the Czech Republic.
They punched the air, clapped hands and gave each other hugs and high fives as shouts of joy rang around the B ONE bar in upmarket Ginza, replacing earlier chants of “Naomi! Naomi! Naomi!”
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe led his nation’s congratulations, hailing an “impressive victory in a very tight game”.
