INDIAN WELLS, United States: Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka was brought to tears by a heckler Saturday on the way to a 6-0, 6-4 loss to Veronika Kudermetova in the Indian Wells WTA hardcourt tournament.
Japan’s Osaka, ranked 78th in the world after her third-round exit at the Australian Open, was rocked early in the first set when someone in the crowd yelled “Naomi, you suck.”
She pulled herself together to continue, but while she finally seemed to find her range in the second set she couldn’t find a way past Kudermetova.
Speaking on court after the match, Osaka said the comment stuck in her head because it reminded her of Venus and Serena Williams being heckled at the tournament in 2001.
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Naomi Osaka brought to tears by heckler at Indian Wells tournament
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Naomi Osaka brought to tears by heckler at Indian Wells tournament
- Four-time Grand Slam champion was rocked early in the first set when someone in the crowd yelled ‘Naomi, you suck’
Mid East Falcons win inaugural United Series championship in Dubai
- The 8-1 win over Mumbai Cobras gives the Abu Dhabi franchise a 2-1 series victory and first Baseball United title
DUBAI: Shotaro Kasahara allowed only two hits in six scoreless innings with six strikeouts to lead the Mid East Falcons to an 8-1 win over the Mumbai Cobras and the first United Series championship in league history.
Munenori Kawasaki — named United Series MVP — went 2-for-5 with one run scored and two RBIs as the Falcons claimed a 2-1 series win over the India franchise. Kawasaki batted .417 for the series.
Kasahara had a total of 72 pitches, 57 of which were strikes. Also, Shingo Hirata (2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 SO after a Fire Ball scored) and Severino Gonzalez (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1BB) completed the pitching line for the Falcons.
Shuhei Fukuda went 2-for-3 with one RBI, Hiroyuki Makajima batted 2-for-3 with one RBI, and Gregori Cano had a 1-for-3 night, with two runs scored and one RBI, to highlight the Mid East offense.
After losing Game 1, the Falcons turned the United Series around with two straight victories. They scored a total of 16 runs on 26 hits, and allowed only five runs.
Other highlights:
Nyan Hernandez took the loss after a 1.0 inning, in which he allowed three hits, four earned runs, three walks and struck out two.
Lou Helmig went 1-for-3 with one RBI, as the standout man in the Cobras offense.
After winning Game 1 of the United Series, Mumbai only had eight hits and two runs scored.
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