I would like to say a few words about Naomi Osaka, most of you know what high regard I hold her in (if not, this post will give a good indication) and how we have followed her career for several years, but I don't like her split from coach Sascha Bajin, or at least how it came about, the timing and fall out. This was taken from the Guardian website and I have highlighted a few lines.................

Naomi Osaka is adamant that her surprise split with the coach Sascha Bajin had nothing to do with money but was because she refused to put “success over happiness”.

The German had guided the Japanese player to back-to-back grand slam titles as well as to the summit of the WTA rankings, rising from No 72 at the start of 2018 to No 1. But only two weeks after her win at Melbourne Park, Osaka abruptly severed ties with Bajin. That led to suggestions the two had fallen out over money.

“Everyone thinks it was a money-related issue but it wasn’t,” the US and Australian Open champion told the WTA. “That’s one of the most hurtful things I’ve ever heard. I travel with everyone on my team, I see them more than my family. I would never do that to them. My reason is I wouldn’t put success over my happiness – that’s my main thing. I’m not going to sacrifice that just to keep a person around.”

Bajin, a former hitting partner of Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki, was named as the WTA’s coach of the year for 2018, after his success with Osaka.

Osaka said it was clear things were not right between them during the season’s first major. “It was kind of brewing in Australia. I think some people could see that if they saw how we interacted,” the 21-year-old added. “I would not want to split on really bad terms. I’m not going to say anything bad about him because, of course, I’m really grateful for all the things he’s done. During the Australian Open I was just trying to tell myself to get through it. I’m not sure, but I think you guys noticed.”

Osaka said she hopes to have a new coach in place by March. “It’s not really ideal to go to Indian Wells without a coach. I don’t want someone that’s in the box saying negative stuff. That would be the worst,” she said.

“[I want] someone that’s kind of direct, not afraid to say things to my face. I’d rather someone say it directly to me than go around my back. That’s one of the biggest things.”

Osaka does now have a new coach in Jermaine Jenkins and we will look at him the next time we discuss Naomi. Who has (this week), had to "lawyer up" (not my term, after being sued by Bajin. This is all very stressful for Osaka, I have said before she is a very young 21 yo more like a mid teen and I doubt she is in the ideal mood for tennis. Bajin has not tweeted for two months, since Melbourne, and then this week typed: " I’ve missed the States sooooo much. Sooo happy to be back here in Florida... If home is where your heart is, mine is def here!!!  " Make of that what you will !  She is 2-2 since the split, was way off the pace against Belinda Bencic ( see above) last week and if she was playing (almost) anyone else today I would probably oppose her strongly.

Having said that, Yanina Wickmayer battled well yesterday to beat Sachia Vickery and came through qualifying ,so is match fit and used to these courts. If you had said to be two months ago I would be opposing Osaka this week, I would have said "unlikely", if that was to be with Wickmayer, my comments would have been more of the "not a chance in hell" variety, but here we are ! Things change and odds are odds and I was close to doing so and taking Wickmayer with the handicap start, but have finally opted to sit this out, watch Naomi today and maybe look for a spot down the line to take her on, as she looks vulnerable right now.

Main reason to skip this was that Wickmayer has lost 22 sets in a row to top 10 opponents !