WTA: Naomi Osaka after great comeback in Beijing semi-final

Naomi Osaka has reached the semi-finals of the WTA Premier Madrid tournament in Beijing. The US Open winner defeated Zhang Shuai in three close sets.

With the self-confidence of a Grand Slam success, mountains can apparently be moved: Naomi Osaka was down 4-1 in the third set of her quarter-final in Beijing against local hero Zhang Shuai, but after 2-33 hours of play and 3-6, 6-4 and 7-5, she made it into the final round of the last big tournament before the WTA Finals in Singapore.

Osaka is already qualified for the latter event, as are Simona Halep, Angelique Kerber, Petra Kvitova and Caroline Wozniacki.

Osaka and Zhang had each beaten a German player in the round of 16, while the Japanese had much less problems with Julia Görges than Zhang with Angelique Kerber. The winner of the match between Anastasija Sevastova and Dominika Cibulkova is waiting for Naomi Osaka in Beijing in the preliminary round.

Here the single tableau of the ladies in Peking