Mar 18, 2018; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Naomi Osaka (JPN) with the championship trophy after she defeated Daria Kasatkina (not pictured) in the women’s finals in the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
March 18, 2018
(Reuters) – Japan’s Naomi Osaka claimed her first career title with a commanding 6-3 6-2 victory over Russian Daria Kasatkina in a battle of 20-year-olds at the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday.
The unseeded Haitian-Japanese player became the youngest Indian Wells champion since Ana Ivanovic was victorious a decade ago. She dropped only one set in the tournament.
Osaka ousted Maria Sharapova, fifth seed Karolina Pliskova and then world number one Simona Halep in the semi-finals on her way to the championship.
She won the final three games of the first set, then dominated the second, needing only 70 minutes for the win.
(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Salvo, North Carolina; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
