Youth research in Indian Wells: When the two 20-year-old Daria Kasatkina and Naomi Osaka meet in the final of the Premier Mandatory Tournament on Sunday (7pm CET live on DAZN), this may already be a signpost for the future. In any case, the tweener and a special tutoring lesson play a role.
It will be interesting to see what punch Osaka will unpack on Sunday in the paradisiacal Tennis Garden when her final opponent Kasatkina sends her on an uncertain journey in praise. Why? Quite simply, the Russian of all people gave the Japanese girl tweener lessons before the tournament started. Osaka is undoubtedly a highly talented tennis player. But the protégé of Sascha Bajin from Munich still has a lot of catching up to do – let’s say it carefully.
And because that is the case, Kasatkina immediately intervened and gave her opponent of the same age a lesson in Tweener. Other specialists in the field of “technically highly demanding shots” were not nearby. Alternatives to teacher Kasatkina might have been Roger Federer himself, the wild ball virtuoso Nick Kyrgios or Agnieszka Radwanska. The Polish woman is not called “Ninja” or “The Professor” for nothing because of her exotic “Bringer” qualities.
Anyway, Osaka and Kasatkina had fun at the special unit. It was rigged and flattered – in the end the daughter of a Japanese mother and a Haitian father somehow managed to get the tweener. It was perhaps the extraordinary beginning of a special friendship between women, which could often be put to the test in the coming years.
In any case, experts believe it is quite possible that the current world rankings-19. Kasatkina and Osaka (WTA No. 44) could face each other even more often on big stages and in the final phase of a tournament in the coming years. Both are representatives of the new generation, the NextGen, which is just as short and crisp as it is promising for men.
Especially Kasatkina, whose impressive driving repertoire also includes the stepped in Florian-Mayer memory backhand, impressed the tennis world in the days of Indian Wells. With her playing style – and with victories over Australian Open winner Caroline Wozniacki, Venus Williams and Angelique Kerber. Industry leader Simona Halep, Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza and French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko have also been beaten by the young woman from Togliatty in the past seven months.
I don’t think I’m a star,” said Roland Garros’ former junior winner:”I’m just an athlete, an ordinary person who loves football and good food,” and she loves FC Barcelona with superstar Lionel Messi. In order to be able to live in the Catalan metropolis one day, the Russian speaks Spanish:”If you want something to improve, you have to start working at some point,” is her credo. Not only in languages.
Kasatkina is not afraid of the big stage in any case. On the contrary. When asked before the semi-final against Venus Williams when she would like to play the local heroine, the 20-year-old replied: “In the evening. I want to play on the Centre Court at prime time. Yeah!” It sounded anything but outlandish, rather likeable and adventurous.