Record-chasing Williams wary of ‘cool cat’ Osaka

Serena Williams knows she must raise another level against “cool cat” Naomi Osaka to keep alive her dream of a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam crown, wary of again falling victim to the Japanese superstar.

The pair meet in a blockbuster Australian Open semifinal on Thursday with the winner facing either Czech 25th seed Karolina Muchova or American 22nd seed Jennifer Brady in Saturday’s decider.

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Williams, 39, continues to chase Margaret Court’s elusive all-time mark of 24 major titles, after losing four Slam finals since her 2017 victory at Melbourne Park while pregnant.

One of those was her controversial 2018 US Open final defeat to Osaka, where the American star was docked a point and a game after losing her temper when warned about coaching.

Osaka was booed by some fans and was in tears during the awards ceremony, later calling what should have been her moment of glory “a little bittersweet”.

Williams said both players had reached “closure” on the painful moment, which has seen them inextricably linked ever since.

“I have definitely reached out, and she’s – yeah. So off the court, it’s hard. I think she’s a great competitor and she’s a cool cat.”