Osaka ousts Pliskova to book ticket to Aussie Open final

U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka has reached back-to-back major finals with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Karolina Pliskova in the Australian Open semifinals.

The 21-year-old Osaka will play another Czech, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, for the Australian title on Saturday.

The champion in Australia will also assume the No. 1 ranking. For both Kvitova, who reached a career-high No. 2 ranking in October 2011, and Osaka, it would be a first time in top spot.

The fourth-seeded Osaka is aiming to be the first woman since Serena Williams to win consecutive major titles. Williams won four straight from the 2014 U.S. Open to Wimbledon in 2015.

Kvitova beat Danielle Collins 7-6 (2), 6-0 to return to a Grand Slam final for the first time since winning the Wimbledon title in 2014, and her first since sustaining injuries to her left hand in a home invasion in the Czech Republic in December 2016.

Seventh-seeded Pliskova, a U.S. Open finalist in 2016, had a stunning quarterfinal win over Serena Williams, coming back from 5-1 down in the third set and saving four match points to reach the last four.

Osaka closed with an ace on match point.