WTA Finals: Duel of the last chance? Osaka vertical takeoff stands in Kerber’s way

The winners of the last two major tournaments will be under pressure after their opening defeats in Singapore before the match in Singapore

When Sascha Bajin recently visited a fast food restaurant in Tokyo, the amazement was great. As soon as he had entered the entrance door, he had to feel like an old acquaintance of the other guests. Bajin was greeted friendly, some customers shook hands with him or asked him for a joint photo or autograph. “It was a crazy moment,” says Bajin, “it’s never happened to me before in my life.”

However, something unique had already happened for Bajin this autumn. The Munich tennis globetrotter (34) was one of the coaches responsible for the 21-year-old Naomi Osaka’s sensational coup at the US Open and winning the final triumph over Serena Williams, the first Grand Slam title of her young career. Since then Osaka has not only become world-famous, but also a megastar at home in Japan – and with her Bajin has achieved remarkable popularity. “It’s madness what happens to Naomi in Japan and all over Asia,” says Bajin.

In Singapore, the venue of the WTA Finals, the unofficial Women’s Tennis World Cup, Osaka is also the star among the stars of the industry, at the end of the season for the eight best players. A mixture of “euphoria and hysteria” around Osaka, noted a local leaf, “she is the uncrowned queen of the tournament.”

However, after a frustrating opening defeat against the American Sloane Stephens, the shy Majesty is already under a lot of pressure to succeed – and must win in the match of the unfortunate opening losers with Angelique Kerber on Wednesday to keep up her hopes for the World Cup. For Osaka as for Kerber it is something like a duel of the last chance, an all or nothing game. 3:1 leads Kerber in the direct comparison, with the last game against the vertical starter is connected for the German a rather pleasant memory – because this duel took place in Wimbledon, in the third round in her summer victory at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

A few weeks later, in late August and early September, Osaka played in New York just as confidently and confidently as Kerber in Wimbledon. Nothing and nobody could stop her at her impressive US Open success, not even the furor of final opponent Serena Williams. But the victory had a stale aftertaste, because over the Williams scandal and the uplifting, escalating sexism and racism debate the athletically highly deserved winner was forgotten. “It has remained a bittersweet memory,” says Osaka, “there was simply no moment when I could be totally happy.”

However, Osaka and Bajin kept their high level after the brilliant US Open mission, and there was no acclimatization problem in the rough touring routine. The 21-year-old made it to the finals at the home match of the tournament in Tokyo, where she was closely watched by fans and reporters, before reaching the semi-finals in Beijing once again. “She has maintained her high intensity and ambition even to New York. That was extremely important,” says Bajin, “you shouldn’t fall into a deep hole after such a victory.”

For him, too, the Munich native with Serbian roots, the tennis year 2018 is something like the discovery of an unknown universe. For many years Bajin was a man in great demand in the industry, but not in a leading and decisive position. For seven years he was sparring partner for Serena Williams and thus also part of the dazzling Williams clan, before he also worked in identical positions with Viktoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki. At the 2017 World Cup in Singapore, he was still in the grandstand as an employee of the Dane.

Shortly afterwards, Osakas’ manager offered him the job of head coach, Bajin, seldom at a loss for risk, took the initiative and scored a six-goal in the lottery. The following applies to the working relationship: opposites attract each other and cause success, here the extremely shy, reserved, sensitive Osaka and there the spirited, gripping, but also sensitive Bajin. “I hope we can continue to work together for a very long time,” says Bajin. Now, at the World Cup, the German coach could make sure that the dreams of the German Wimbledon champion Kerber are already shattered on Wednesday.