“It’s just relentless pressure,” said Thompson.
“He hits the ball so hard with margin and he’s got great disguise on his shots,especially his forehand.
“I remember looking up at my camp and said ‘I’ve hit one of the biggest forehands I’ve hit’. It came back,I hit a drive volley,it came back even harder and I wasn’t even close to the ball.”
‘It’s more like an exhibition’
Osaka crashed out in straight sets to American Amanda Anisimova,the same opponent whosent her packing in the Australian Open third round.
Later,Osaka described the ATP and WTA’s bold reaction to Wimbledon’s banning of Russian and Belarusian players – taking away ranking points – as well-intended but the execution “was all over the place”.
Playing Wimbledon without the rewards of ranking points for players has effectively rendered it an exhibition,albeit with significant prizemoney still on offer.
“I feel like if I play Wimbledon without points,it’s more like an exhibition,” said Osaka after the 7-5,6-4 defeat to Anisimova.
“I know this isn’t true,right? But my brain just like feels that way.
“Whenever I think like something is like an exhibition,I just can’t go at it 100 per cent.”
Mastering both clay and grass has always been a battle for a hardcourt star such as Osaka,a two-time champion at both Melbourne Park and Flushing Meadows.
“I’m sad about ... how I did here,” the Japanese said. “I wish I could have done much better.
“[But] I know that I don’t regret anything that I have done. Like,I’m happy that I spent extra weeks in Europe as opposed to what I would normally do.”
The ATP and WTA’s strong hand against Wimbledon was met with “deep disappointment” by the All England Club,which argues the ban was the appropriate option under British government guidance.
“The decision is kind of affecting ... my mentality going into grass – I’m not 100 per cent sure if I’m going to go there,” Osaka said.
“For me,it’s kind of like,I don’t want to say pointless – no pun intended – but I’m the type of player that gets motivated by ... seeing my ranking go up.
On a day of eye-catching results,Czech Krejcikova was eliminated at the first hurdle,beaten 1-6,6-2,6-3 by 19-year-old Frenchwoman Diane Parry.
An emotional Krejcikova conceded she “hit the wall” early in the second set after a strong start against a local hope buoyed by strong support on centre court.
Krejcikova hadn’t played on the tour since February after managing an elbow injury.
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“I think I just collapsed physically,and,I mean,it was tough because I didn’t play the matches,” said the 26-year-old.
The crowd reacted with displeasure when Krejcikova took a toilet break. “I don’t know why. But I guess whatever I do is at some point booed,so that’s how it is. That’s life,” she said.
Other Australians on court on Monday included James Duckworth,finding his feet again on the tour after hip surgery but beaten 6-2,6-4,6-2,by Swede Mikael Ymer.
John Millman’s match against American Sebastian Korda was suspended in the first set due to rain.
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