Naomi Osaka apologises after 'emotional' win over Zhang Shuai
- Published
Osaka (left) prevailed in two hours and 33 minutes
US Open champion Naomi Osaka apologised to Zhang Shuai for an emotional display in beating the Chinese in Beijing.
The 20-year-old Japanese was close to tears at points in her 3-6 6-4 7-5 win in the China Open quarter-finals.
Osaka wept in the wake of her US Open win, overshadowed by Serena Williams' confrontation with umpire Carlos Ramos, and was again facing a crowd favourite.
"I was basically apologising because I feel I was more emotional than I normally try to be," said Osaka.
Asked the cause of her emotion, she said: "Because it was a hard match. That's basically why."
Unseeded Zhang took advantage of a string of early errors to take the first set and was a break up in the second before being reeled in by world number six Osaka, who will play Latvia's unseeded Anastasija Sevastova in the next round.