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Tennis fans fume over Naomi Osaka opponent's 'deliberate' act

sam goodwin
Sports Editor
·4-min read
Alison Riske, pictured here after her loss to Naomi Osaka at the Miami Open.
Alison Riske's grunting against Naomi Osaka irked some tennis fans. Image: Getty

The issue of grunting has made its way back into the spotlight at the Miami Open, with fans expressing their frustrations about Alison Riske's antics against Naomi Osaka.

Osaka made it through to the quarter-finals in Miami on Monday - just the second time she's managed to advance that deep in any event over the past year.

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The former World No.1 beat Riske 6-3 6-4, moving into a round-of-eight match-up with Danielle Collins.

But despite Osaka continuing her brilliant form, fans couldn't help but be distracted by Riske's loud grunting.

The American is notorious on the WTA tour for her loud shrieking during points, and fans were fed up as they watched her battle with Osaka on Monday.

"Alison Riske grunting is really annoying and deliberate," one fan wrote on Twitter.

"There is no need for the shrieking. WTA got to do something about this stuff."

Another added: "Riske's grunt sounds very irritating to the throat. Doesn't she get a sore throat after every match?"

Naomi Osaka and Iga Swiatek march on at Miami Open

Osaka's only other quarter-final appearance in the past 12 months was at an Australian Open warm-up tournament in Melbourne in January.

Before that, it was at the Miami Open in 2021.

"It's really funny for me, because last year here I made it to the quarters, too," Osaka said.

"It was after I won Australia and I wasn't that grateful. I kind of expected to win."

Naomi Osaka, pictured here in action against Alison Riske at the Miami Open.
Naomi Osaka in action against Alison Riske at the Miami Open. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)

The Japanese star's ranking has dipped to No. 77 but it could get somewhere around No.30 if she wins the Miami title.

However she hasn't won a tournament since that Australian Open victory last year.

But her stay in Miami so far has been nothing but happiness, with three easy wins - all in straight sets - and the added benefit of a walkover victory in there as well.

"This is really one of the funnest times of my life," Osaka said. "I'm really grateful."

Polish ace Iga Swiatek, who will be crowned the new World No.1 next Monday after Ash Barty's retirement, crushed Coco Gauff 6-3 6-1 to storm into the last eight.

Iga Swiatek, pictured here after her victory over Coco Gauff at the Miami Open.
Iga Swiatek celebrates her victory over Coco Gauff at the Miami Open. (Photo by TPN/Getty Images)

The 20-year-old needed just 76 minutes to dispatch her teenage opponent to seal a 14th straight win.

She remains undefeated at WTA 1000 events in 2022 having won titles in Doha and then at Indian Wells just over a week ago.

Meanwhile, resurgent Australian Daria Saville has won through to her first quarter-final at a top-tier event since 2017 by surviving a match point to outlast Italian Lucia Bronzetti 5-7 6-4 7-5 in three hours.

Saville has climbed a staggering 500 spots in the world rankings since mid-February; she was 627th in the world and could make it back into the top 100 if she wins her next match against Belinda Bencic or Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

with AAP

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