Society

Naomi Osaka dominates Jennifer Brady to win Australian Open final

Feb 20 (wionews.com) - Japan's Naomi Osaka on Saturday defeated Jeniffer Brady 6-4, 6-3 to win the Australian Open final as she continued her unbeaten streak to 21 matches (14 Grand Slam matches).

Osaka, with the dominating win, becomes only the fourth active WTA player to win more than three major singles titles. Osaka also closed the gap with world number one Ashleigh Barty after finding herself second in the rankings following the win over Brady.

Osaka also equals Monica Seles' record of winning the first four Grand Slam women's finals. This was Osaka's second Australian Open win as she continues to rise in the world of tennis.

Osaka won the tight first set while breaking Brady twice in the second to win the match 6-4, 6-3 in 77 minutes in front of thousands of cheerful fans at the Rod Laver Arena. Third-seeded Osaka now holds a 100 per cent record in Grand Slam finals following her win in 2018 and 2020 US Opens and 2019 win in Melbourne.

Osaka saved two match points in the fourth round against Garbine Muguruza before lifting the coveted Australian Open trophy.

Osaka, who also beat her idol, Serena Williams, in straight sets in the semi-finals, has not lost a match in more than a year.

Over 300 New Geoglyphs Discovered by Yamagata University in Nazca

Yamagata University, which has been conducting research on the Nazca geoglyphs in Peru, announced the discovery of over 300 new geoglyphs, depicting a variety of subjects, including humans and animals.

University of Tokyo Raises Tuition Fees for First Time in 20 Years

The University of Tokyo has officially decided to increase tuition by approximately 110,000 yen for incoming undergraduate students starting next academic year, bringing the total to 642,960 yen.

Death toll rises to 9 in Japan's Ishikawa following heavy rain

Emergency officials say the death toll from record rainfall in Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture has risen to nine. (NHK)

Russian military plane intrudes into Japanese airspace, Tokyo lodges protest

A Japanese government spokesperson says a Russian military airplane entered Japanese airspace three times on Monday. (NHK)

Kishida vows in meeting with Zelenskyy continued support for Ukraine

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has conveyed his country's intention to maintain support for Ukraine to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (NHK)

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