JAPANESE top 10 star and dual Grand Slam winner, Naomi Osaka has won her first ever Miami Open, downing reigning champion and world number one, Ash Barty in three sets. It was the third time the number nine seed has defeated the Australian champion, edging ahead in the five-game head-to-head. For Barty, it was one win short of defending her title, but the 6-2 6-7 6-1 loss was far from a disgrace, though the lapses in concentration hurt.

Osaka was absolutely superb throughout the contest, finding the form that took her to back-to-back Grand Slam titles from the 2018 US Open to the 2019 Australian Open and into the number one spot in the world. Still only 22-years-old, Osaka is predicted to win more Grand Slams down the track, but has been hampered by injuries of late. She was able to come good for this vital Miami Open final, stepping up early and winning four consecutive games to end the first set and take it out 6-2.

As expected, the best in the world threw everything at the Japanese hitter in the second set, forcing a decider after winning a tight tiebreaker. Neither player could break the other as their serves both rose above 80 per cent efficiency off their first serve points. Eventually though Barty broke away in the tiebreaker to win 7-2 and it looked as if she would have the momentum in the final set. Instead, Osaka stepped it up and piled on four consecutive games and two breaks to race out to a 4-0 lead, and eventually take it out 6-1. It was a remarkable win from the Japanese star whose last title came in Beijing – defeating Barty along the way.

The victory will see Osaka rise up the rankings again into number five in the world, not far off the new number four, Karolina Pliskova who dropped back a place after failing to back up her finals appearance here last year. There is not too much slowing Barty down at the top despite losing out on 350 points, still sitting 3000-plus points clear in the number one spot.

MIAMI OPEN FINAL RESULT:

[9] Naomi Osaka (JPN) defeated [1] Ash Barty (AUS) 6-2 6-7 6-1