Osaka reaches into semifinals with win over Zhang

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US Open champion Naomi Osaka overcame her emotions to roar back and defeat unseeded hometown favorite Zhang Shuai 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 in a roller-coaster China Open quarter-final on Friday.

The 20-year-old Japanese was broken on her first two service games and had tears in her eyes as the match threatened to slip away in the second set.

But the world number six gathered herself and found the resolve to pull through over three nail-biting sets.

China's Zhang Shuai celebrates her points win during the China Open quarter-final match with Naomi Osaka of Japan (not pictured) in Beijing, October 4, 2018. /VCG Photo

Zhang raced into an early lead against Osaka, but Osaka continued to rack up errors and conceded the first set when she hit into the net.

The 29-year-old Zhang, who has won two career WTA singles titles, saved six break points to take the lead in the second set.

Japan's Naomi Osaka looks frustrated during her China Open quarter-final match with Zhang Shuai of China (not pictured) in Beijing, October 4, 2018. /VCG Photo

Osaka faced frustration in the third set as Zhang broke to go 2-0 up.

Then the Japanese began welling up and she defied her emotions to avoid the upset and battled back for the win.

Source(s): AFP