Japan's Naomi Osaka celebrates after winning her fourth Grand Slam title. © David Gray, AFP

Japan's Osaka defeats Brady to win second Australian Open title

by · France 24

Osaka, the champion at Melbourne Park in 2019, edged a tight first set and broke twice in the second to win in 77 minutes in front of thousands of fans at Rod Laver Arena.

The 23-year-old is the first woman since Monica Seles to win her first four Grand Slam finals.

Fans hoping for a repeat of the pair's engrossing US Open semi-final last year were left disappointed as Brady froze in the spotlight of her first Grand Slam final.

Osaka played some way short of her best tennis but it was more than enough as she clinched six straight games to take the first set and stormed to a 4-0 lead in the second.

Brady belatedly conjured some resistance to break Osaka against the flow of play and claw back to 5-3.

But the 25-year-old American bowed out as she started, with errors flying off her racket.

Osaka served out the match to love, with a big serve sealing it when Brady thumped a forehand return long.

The win cements Osaka's status as the new queen of the women's game, though she is yet to reach the last 16 at the remaining Grand Slam tournaments, Wimbledon and the French Open.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, REUTERS)