Before starting the

Australian Open

, someone asked

Naomi Osaka

how she handled being the 'new' face of women's tennis.

"As long as

Serena Williams is

, the face is her," she replied.

The Japanese has always shown reverential respect for her idol, but on the track everything is forgotten.

Osaka

defeated the American with authority (6-3, 6-4) and will seek her fourth Grand Slam title at age 23.

A pendant with the word 'Queen' set in diamonds hangs from Serena's neck, but the new crown for women's tennis has an owner.

It's been four years since

Williams'

last great

.

It was precisely at the Australian Open, against her sister Venus and two months pregnant.

His dominance was then indisputable: he had won six of the last 10 Grand Slam tournaments and in the 10 he had reached at least the semifinals.

But in these four years of drought,

Naomi Osaka

has burst in with force and that final of the US Open in 2018 is remembered less and less for the outbreak of

Serena

and more as a relay point.

The Japanese, who already has 20 victories in a row, including the last US Open, closed the way again.

Osaka

entered the game late, giving up the serve in the first game, but once inside there was no one to take her out.

There had been a lot of talk in recent weeks about how well

Williams'

three-month hiatus had done.

He was much more agile, reached more balls, defended with more ease.

And as if she wanted to prove it for herself,

Osaka

shook her from side to side, opening up angles.

The Japanese had problems with her first serve (she only got 36%), but the exchanges were hers.

He gave up the first two games, but tied the next five.

His confidence in the hit contrasted with that of Serena, unknown in the first round.

He hit just four winners, against 16 unforced errors.

The American is not comfortable, who reprimanded herself even when she put in a great parallel right.

"Make a shot! Make a shot!"

Williams

shouted

after signing the first point of the second set with a great parallel right.

She felt tense, the shots did not enter her, and in another improper failure on a climb, she looked up at the sky with an ironic smile.

It wasn't the day.

The only moment of doubt in

Osaka

appeared near the victory, in the eighth game of the second heat.

The Japanese, faltering again in service, conceded a break with three double faults.

But his reaction was resounding.

The Japanese connected two winners to the rest and, after a double fault from

Williams

, took out the hammer: a very tight open right to one corner and two-handed backhand to the opposite.

Break in white, fist raised and victory on track.

All eight times Serena

Williams

had made it to the semifinals of the Australian Open, she had made her way to the final.

On seven occasions he left with the title.

Not this time, ousted again by

Naomi Osaka

in her pursuit of

Margaret Court's

24 titles

.

From her neck hangs a pendant with the word 'Queen' set in diamonds, but the crown of women's tennis seems already in the hands of

Osaka

.

That there is also the Melbourne title can only be prevented by Jennifer Brady or Karolina Muchová.

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