Sir — The thrill of watching the tennis legend, Serena Williams, and the immensely talented player, Naomi Osaka, play against each other on the tennis court is unparalleled. It was mesmerizing to watch Osaka beat Williams in straight sets — 6-3, 6-4 — in the semi-final of the Australian Open to reach her fourth major final. With this win, the Japanese tennis star has extended her winning streak to 20 matches.

It is clear that Osaka is destined for greatness in the game; it is no mean feat to beat the younger Williams sister, who is easily the best tennis player of all time alongside Roger Federer. Osaka had, in fact, beaten Williams once before, in 2018, in the final of the US Open, a victory which catapulted her into the spotlight. It is a treat to observe her game: she has an offence-heavy playing style that is complemented by her powerful forehand and strong backhand. She is recognized as an aggressive baseline player; some of her fastest serves have been clocked in at 125 miles per hour. Given that she is just 23 years old, one can look forward with great anticipation to all the upcoming achievements in her career.

But sport is as much about goodwill and mutual respect as it is about fierce and healthy competition. As such, it is heart-warming to observe not only the camaraderie between the two players but also Osaka’s clear admiration and awe for Williams. “I was a little kid watching [Williams] play,” said Osaka, “and just to be on the court playing against her, for me, is a dream.” One hopes that tennis lovers get more chances to watch the two formidable stars play against each other in the future; both of them set a magnificent example for young girls who aspire to play the game.

Ronit Ganguly,
Calcutta

Sir — It is sad that the legendary Serena Williams has once again lost an opportunity to equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles. She has now missed 11 chances to win her 24th Grand Slam; her last win was in 2017, at the Australian Open. At the same time, one must congratulate the young Naomi Osaka, who has proved to be a stumbling block in Williams’s path, bouncing back in the semi-final match to defeat her opponent in straight sets. Will Williams be able to equal Court’s record in the future?

Janaki Mahadevan,
Chennai

Sir — Serena Williams may have lost the Australian Open semi-final to Naomi Osaka and her chance to win her 24th Grand Slam title, but there is no reason for her fans to despair. This is the woman who won the Australian Open in 2017 while being pregnant. There is no doubting her greatness or her capabilities.

Ankit Gandhi,
Calcutta

Be careful

Sir — It was both distressing and infuriating to watch the video of an elderly woman in Rohtak who had to lie low on a railway track as a goods train passed over her. It was a relief to see her emerge unscathed — the local people advised her to lie still till the train had passed — but this is a case of extreme carelessness on the part of the woman. Passers-by and the signalman had reportedly tried to stop her from crossing the tracks with the train approaching, but she disregarded their warnings as she was in a hurry. While serious train accidents often take place owing to the negligence of the railway authorities, are not ordinary citizens also expected to behave responsibly?

Aditi Khosla,
Delhi

PARTING SHOT

Sir — The residents of two co-operative housing societies in Kankurgachi were practically immobilized for almost 13 hours a couple of days ago on account of a political meeting that was organized on the main road. The road was blocked by a podium as well as chairs and barricades, making the movement of cars and other vehicles impossible. Luckily no emergency arose during that period, but what would the residents have done if it had? The authorities and organizers of such meetings should think about the inconveniences caused to ordinary people before allowing such gatherings to take place in this fashion. That is, if they care about the people at all.

Priyanko Mukherji,
Calcutta