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Tennis Sensation Mii Kato: Triumphs and Aspirations

  A New Chapter in Mii Kato's Career

In a significant development for the world of tennis, Mii Kato, the reigning champion of the 2023 Mixed Doubles at the Tennis French Open, has recently announced a strategic partnership with Tokyo's prominent management agency, Sunny Side Up Co., Ltd. Commencing on August 1, 2023, this management contract is set to steer Mii Kato's promising career to even greater heights.   A Dual Role: Beyond Athletics to Social Impact This exciting collaboration extends beyond the realm of sports, as Sunny Side Up Co., Ltd. assumes the responsibility of managing Mii Kato's professional journey. The partnership aims not only to bolster her athletic pursuits but also to champion various social initiatives. With this dynamic alliance, Mii Kato seeks to contribute significantly beyond the tennis court.  

A Journey of Triumphs

Mii Kato's remarkable journey in professional tennis commenced in 2013 when she turned pro and marked her debut on the ITF Women's World Tour. Over the years, her unwavering dedication translated into numerous victories both in her home country of Japan and on the international stage. Notably, at the 2017 Australian Open, she etched her name in history by reaching the prestigious semifinals in the doubles category—a first for a Japanese pair. Her prowess also secured her a spot in the main singles tournament at the revered French Open in the same year.   A Trailblazer's Path Mii Kato's prowess reached its pinnacle in 2018 when she became the inaugural Japanese duo to clinch the title at the Toray Pan Pacific Open, a premier tennis tournament held in her homeland. However, her remarkable journey was not without challenges. Despite facing disqualification due to penalties at the 2023 French Open Women's Doubles, Mii Kato demonstrated resilience and, in a remarkable twist, emerged victorious, securing her first Grand Slam title in mixed doubles.  

Glimpses of the Future

With her unwavering commitment and remarkable achievements, Mii Kato has set her sights on even grander stages. Her ambitions include participation in the forthcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, where she aspires to represent her country on the global platform and continue making waves.   A Message of Enthusiasm from Mii Kato Expressing her enthusiasm for the new partnership, Mii Kato shared, "I'm delighted to announce my collaboration with Sunny Side Up. The overwhelming support I received after my French Open win was heartwarming, and I aim to share the thrill of sports and positivity with a broader audience through my athletic pursuits and community endeavors." "My mantra is to 'enjoy it first,' and with Sunny Side Up by my side, I'm excited to create a whirlwind of enjoyment."  

A Glimpse Into Mii Kato's Profile

Mii Kato's profile paints a picture of determination and accomplishments: - Date of Birth: November 12, 1994 - Affiliation: XYMAX - Height/Weight: 156cm/51kg - Dominant Arm: Right-handed (two-handed backhand) - Birthplace: Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture - Education: Graduate of Kyoto Municipal Shugakuin Elementary School, Ritsumeikan Uji Junior High School, and Ritsumeikan Uji High School. For all inquiries concerning Mii Kato's journey and future endeavors, please reach out to Sunny Side Up Co., Ltd. The partnership marks a momentous chapter in the athlete's illustrious career, promising not just sporting excellence but also a renewed commitment to fostering positive change.  

Career Achievements

Year Achievement 2012 All Japan Junior Singles Champion (under 18) 2013 Turned pro 2016 WTA Tour Doubles Title Win (Katowice Open, Poland) 2017 Becomes the first Japanese pair to advance to the quarter-finals at the French Open - Enters the main singles tournament at the French Open - Japan Women's Open runner-up 2018 Toray Pan Pacific Open Doubles Champion 2019 Vancouver Open Women's Doubles Champion 2022 ITF Kyoto 58th Shimadzu All Japan Indoor Tennis Championship Singles Champion 2023 - ABC Classic Doubles Champion - French Open Mixed Doubles Winner   Sources: THX News & Sunny Side Up Group Co., Ltd.   Read the full article

[polaristranslations]

The Ninth Box

   ■   ■

To begin with the conclusion, the game between I, Kurokami Medaka, and my predecessor, Chinu Namaji, ended in her victory—and the fact that it ended in her victory also meant, naturally, that it ended in my defeat.

There have been many times where the likes of Zenkichi would hype me up as some kind of undefeated person that would never lose, that would never suffer a defeat, but, well, this could act as evidence that that wasn't exactly the case—there were times when even I would lose.

I would win when I needed to win—but even though I say that, the question is where to differentiate, where to judge, in which situations I would need to win and in which situations I wouldn't need to win.

Who decided when I needed to win and when I didn't need to win?

In situations when I didn't need to win, did that mean I needed to lose?

Did a situation when I needed to lose even exist in this world?—if it did, when would that be? "Sometimes loss is the best gain" or "to flee is to win" are sayings that are often said—but if you're gaining something from loss, then based on the idea of damage control, it's almost like a victory, and if to flee is to win, then you're winning by fleeing, which means that's just a normal victory.

In other words, a defeat to me is—well, even if I unfold my theories on victory and defeat here, it would simply be my own personal opinions. Torai Kudaki, I'm sure you have your own opinions on what victory and defeat means to you, and even if they were to differ from mine, it surely would not be the case that one of us was correct and the other was wrong.

Of course.

Even Kumagawa Misogi had theories on victory and defeat.

Perhaps, even then and even now, those theories were built on immovably conflicting components that were incompatible with my own—but even so, it's hard to say that I was the one in the right.

However, I couldn't possibly say that Kumagawa Misogi's way of thinking was in the right.

In any case, if I knew when I needed to win and when I needed to lose, then it would make things quite easy to understand—although in most cases, when someone is faced with a matter of victory or defeat, they will think of themselves as needing to win.

Naturally.

Even with my game against Chinu Namaji, I faced her with the intention of winning—that consciousness of mine wasn't as clear as if it had been written down, but when faced with victory or defeat, I must have thought that I needed to win.

As for how to approach victory or defeat.

That was the natural way of thinking.

Well, if I had to say it, then there was the idea of "making memories" from losing—it was a bit immature to completely disavow that way of thinking, but in this case, in the match between me and Chinu Namaji, that way of thinking wasn't something I could apply.

My objective to find out how she had served as Treasurer under President Kumagawa and how she had stepped down from her position in Hakobune Middle School's 66th Generation Student Council Executive Committee would eventually be fulfilled—and, to say so in advance, even though it would eventually be fulfilled, it was regrettably not because I had won the game against her.

In the long run, I could say that I was able to get that information because I lost the game with her here, but that would be neither theories of victory nor defeat, but just a theory of the results—like the saying of "to flee is to win", there was also the saying "to lose is to win", but I wasn't the kind of person who would consider a loss as a gain.

At least, I wasn't at that time.

I had thought that to live was to win—and that way of living.

That way of winning... I had never once thought about how it would make the losers feel.

   ■   ■

"Kurokami-chan. Shall we play a game? If I win—I'll tell you anything you want to hear."

To her declaration of war, I said,

"Understood,"

in response.

Well, I've messily laid out my reasoning, but you know as well as I do that I'm passionate when it comes to a match, when it comes to a battle—I said something to the effect of having an objective, but even if I didn't have a clear objective at the time, I probably would have accepted that invitation from her in exactly the same way.

It might be a bit odd for me to say this of myself (although there probably wasn't that much of a difference if you asked anyone else), but my hotheadedness at the time was a bit of a turn-off, even for me—I don't know if there was ever a time in my life when someone challenged me to a match and I refused.

With that in mind, you could say that Chinu-senpai accurately came for what was something like my weak point—it wasn't exactly clear if that was her intended strategy, but in hindsight, you could certainly say that she "performed well".

She was splendid during the match itself as well as the way in which she led us to the match—um, in basketball terms, would that be called a "playmaker"?

Then, if anyone were to refer to Chinu Namaji as a "playmaker", it would not be unusual—and meanwhile, not knowing the future that awaited me, my excitement soared at the idea of having a match, and I spoke almost happily.

"So, how is this going to go?"

I asked.

"Naturally, it's going to be a game of basketball, right?"

"Right—well, something like that."

Chinu-senpai nodded.

To my expectant look, her response seemed to come a little late—it made sense that she was a bit perplexed at my sudden excitement. Or perhaps there was some other reason.

However, at the time, I hadn't noticed—I didn't even try to notice. In the first place, despite having come to ask why Chinu-senpai resigned from the Student Council Executive Committee, I didn't even try to guess at what she could be feeling.

Well, it was something worth reflecting upon.

Not that doing something so admirable as reflecting upon it now would reach Chinu-senpai—though I'm sure it didn't bother her one bit.

She was that kind of person, after all.

Right.

She was the type of person that I hadn't encountered much, leading up to this point—even though she was my predecessor, there was nothing similar between the two of us.

If I had no choice but to compare it to someone in Hakoniwa Academy, then I would say that she resembled Nabeshima-senpai, or at least they had something in common—although, that's really only if I had no choice but to compare them, and now that I lined them up, they actually felt completely different.

Genius, talent, and the like—their antagonism, or perhaps hostility, towards people referred to using those words were strong. That’s about the only point in common I can find.

But Nabeshima-senpai's sunny, cheerful disposition was something that Chinu-senpai was completely cut off from—but anyway, let's go back to the match. The match between me and Chinu-senpai—the one that would lead to my loss.

A historical loss?

Don't be silly, it was just a normal loss.

No need to exaggerate.

It's something that could occur to anyone.

Life is all about winning and losing—there's no way you can keep winning, or keep losing. This is something that I say not just in my middle school days but even now, and it's not just something I say but something that Kumagawa Misogi says. Or so I would like to believe.

"So, how do you want to do this? In times like these, we'd usually go with best-of-three one-on-one games... Or should we go with a competition to see who can make the most baskets? How many can we make out of ten shots... Or, or, we could also compete by seeing who can make a basket from the farthest distance... Ah, this would be a bit irregular, but we could get a referee to come judge a game of freestyle basketball. What do you think?"

I rattled on and on.

Perhaps I'd even turned into a bit of a motormouth.

I was like some racehorse with a carrot dangled before its eyes—my enthusiasm was off the charts.

Well, now that I can calmly and objectively look back on myself like this, it was kind of amazing how impatient I was... To the point that I wanted to overlook it as youthful indiscretion.

However, Chinu Namaji was not a girl who would overlook such a chance—

"So it's okay for me to decide?"

"Yes. Of course."

Thinking about it now, it was strange that I would respond "of course" there.

Because it was Chinu-senpai who, in a somewhat overblown manner, challenged her junior to a match, then it made more sense that the one who received that challenge (that is, me) would decide how the match would go.

However, before I could realize it, everything had gone according to Chinu-senpai's plans—naturally, the fact that I thought of basketball was the result of Chinu-senpai having passed me the ball as she made her challenge.

This is what people would call being trapped, and I am not at all afraid to consider this event in such a way now, but at the time, I did not think of it like that at all.

If anything, I was more overcome with admiration at such a gallant, fair-and-square method of settling things by having a match—I suppose this was what Zenkichi would call my true self, a "condescending belief in the goodness of humans".

To be honest, I didn't really like it—it wasn't exactly a pleasant way of putting things—but with this, he may have grasped the essence of the matter.

"So, what will it be? A one-on-one? A shooting competition? Shooting from a distance? Freestyle basketball?"

Well.

Of course I would think of things like these when it came to a competition that involved basketball—so that was most likely why I could leave the matter to Chinu-senpai without any caution whatsoever. I thought there was no room for choice—having seen her level of skill at shooting earlier, I figured it wouldn't turn into a simple shooting competition, so I'd been predicting that it would turn into a one-on-one that could make use of strategy.

But, as if my predictions were meaningless.

Chinu Namaji—chose none of the options that I had suggested. It was as if she'd thrown away the right to choose that I had given her—and so she spoke.

"Hey. You mentioned a simple one-on-one, but..."

Chinu-senpai held up one finger from each of her left and right hands. She held them up with the vigor of spinning a basketball atop each of those index fingers, but since the ball was already at my feet, her intention was surely to indicate the one and the one of "one-on-one".

"However, basketball was originally not a sport to be played with just one versus one."

"...? Well, that's true. Basketball was—"

"Five versus five."

Chinu-senpai opened up both of her hands.

And so, one versus one—became five versus five.

"That's the kind of sport it is, right? Basketball isn't an individual sport, but a team sport—right?"

"Er... Well, yes, but..."

"Right, basketball is a sport with teams of five people each—certainly not a sport you play by yourself. You can't make a team with just one person—"

Chinu-senpai spoke as if it was a new truth that she'd just discovered, but to that, I could only say,

"Right..."

Yes, I had nothing but that ambiguous response to say.

No matter how narrow people said my worldview was, I was still plenty aware that basketball was a sport played with five people on a team, and even if I hadn't known that fact, nevertheless, I would be strongly confused considering the fact that there were only the two of us here in this gymnasium.

Even if it was a sport played with five people.

Chinu-senpai—was alone.

"However, Kurokami-chan."

As if she sensed my confusion and then disregarded it entirely, or perhaps as if she never cared about something like my confusion from the beginning, Chinu-senpai continued unconcernedly.

"But I guess it's a bit strange, or maybe unnatural... Don't you think there's a fundamental problem there? Like it breaks the game balance, or there's a bug, or the game's programming is incomplete—"

"......?"

The direction of the conversation suddenly changed.

However, even so, when she posed that question, I couldn't help but think about it—incomplete?

"Are you asking if there's a flaw in the rules of basketball?"

"No, no, there's no way I could complain about the rules thought up by a genius, that haven't undergone much transformation even after such a long period of time—there's no way I would be so insolent. I'm not talking about just basketball, but about all team sports. It doesn't have to be just basketball—it could be soccer, or lacrosse, or rugby, or even American football."

"Team sports..."

"As this goes on, it almost sounds like it has nothing to do with sports at all, but for the sake of making it easy to understand, I'll keep talking about it through the lens of sports. You know how they have stuff like all-stars, or a dream team, right?"

Well, even if she asked me that.

All I could do was keep quiet and wait for Chinu-senpai to continue.

"A dream team made up of MVP-class players—a line-up of stars, or an all-star team. They get chosen based on fan voting or expert discussion, but... What do you think of that?"

"Er, well... I can't really see a problem in the act of dreaming about putting together a team of outstanding players, in the sense that they're pursuing an ideal... Isn't it essentially the same as a coach choosing the regulars to achieve the best possible team?"

The reason why my answer was a bit hard to put together was because I had no idea what answer Chinu-senpai was looking for—however, regardless of whether I could or couldn't predict what she wanted, I had no choice but to respond in that way. When it came to team sports, there was no such thing as a commander who didn't care about assembling the best team members.

"I suppose. Team sports are all about putting together and then competing with the best possible team—but the thing I feel is incomplete about team sports comes from there,"

said Chinu-senpai.

Her open hands were still there, as she'd left them.

"If team sports are all about comparing the ability of two teams, and the one with better composition is the one that wins—then an all-star team should be the strongest team, right? For example, in basketball, say there's a team that wins nationals. But would a team made up of five aces really be stronger than that team?"

"...Teamwork is also important when it comes to team sports, so I can imagine that simply gathering five aces won't do the trick. No matter how exceptional they are, just because you gather them—"

"That's less ideal and more idealistic. The skill of 'teamwork' should also be a component of that exceptionality—basically, what I'm trying to say is, Kurokami-chan. Even though it should be theoretically possible to envision the so-called 'ideal' team, instead of creating such a team, everyone instead puts up with putting together 'second-best' teams, compromising among people who happen to be in the same school, or within the limits of how much they can pay, or coming from the same regions. Even though the best can be realized, it's not actually realized in reality—if you can't call this incomplete, then what is it?"

"...Uh-huh."

I understood.

It was a bit of an irrational argument, and it wasn't really something I wanted to agree with. But now that she'd said it, it certainly did feel like a thought worth considering—in short, she was probably trying to say that, when it came to sports based on the premise of forming teams, there was a structural flaw in logically creating an ideal team, or rather, envisioning an ideal team even if it was effectively impossible to create one.

Even the "strongest team" on record, the one that wins the championship or survives to the end, has "room to get even stronger" by replacing its members. And when I think about how they'd suffer a defeat to a potential all-star team, it makes me doubt whether or not the sport itself would become nihilistic—of course, there were no absolutes in games, and there were no absolutes in strength, so we probably shouldn't be considering it so one-dimensionally.

"If it was an individual sport, then there wouldn't be this incompleteness—even if you think to yourself, 'If only I had legs like that guy', you can't actually replace your legs. But in a team game, you can think, 'If only that player was on my team', and, putting aside whether or not that's emotionally possible, it certainly is physically possible."

"When you say 'putting aside whether or not that's emotionally possible', the answer is already there... No, not only in terms of emotions, but also in terms of the fact that it is not possible to realize everything that is physically and logically possible—that's how society works."

"My, my. It's hard to believe that such an opinion came from the legendary freshman, Kurokami Medaka. It almost sounds like an endorsement of a society that does not pursue ideals."

The legendary freshman?

I didn't recall becoming a legend, though.

Not to mention, it was obvious that she was making fun of me, so I didn't really feel like fighting against it.

"Well, even so, that's about it, isn't it?—we humans can only do the best we can, so we have to do what we're allowed to do in the environment we're in. That's about it. A world where every 'if only' were to be realized would be pretty unpleasant in itself—but anyway."

Chinu-senpai said.

"Let's go with this for our little competition."

"?"

As I tilted my head, she continued speaking with her hands still splayed.

Indicating the team formation of basketball, five versus five.

With her right hand and left hand indicating that, she spoke.

"Creating teams in pursuit of the ideal one—I'll call it, the Formation Game."

   ■   ■

The Formation Game—of course.

As I said earlier, the game would end in my defeat.

However, in terms of team formation and team building, you could say there was a connection to the assigning of roles in the Student Council Executive Committee. In that sense, perhaps that was the idea at the root of Chinu-senpai's suggestion.

Kumagawa Misogi.

For what reason did he choose Chinu Namaji, and then Kurokami Medaka, to take up the position of Treasurer of the Student Council Executive Committee that he headed?—through this game, I would come to understand that very reason.

Regardless of the winner and loser.

But that would only be in the long run.

In the short run—I simply lost to her.

Yes, just like how she lost to Kumagawa Misogi.

I lost to Chinu Namaji.

[paulbenedictblog]

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22-year-old tennis star Naomi Osaka made $37 million last year, surpassing Serena Williams as the highest-paid female athlete. Here's how she did it.

Naomi Osaka earned extra than $37 million final year.

Tim Clayton - Corbis/Getty Photos

Naomi Osaka, at age 22, is the field's best-paid female athlete with $37.4 million in earnings over the final 12 months.

On the heels of two abet-to-abet Gigantic Slams and on the cusp of playing within the Olympics, Osaka landed several lucrative endorsement presents final year.

Grand of Osaka's occupation used to be spent out of the public scrutinize, but her time within the spotlight is handiest excellent starting.

Search the recommendation of with Industry Insider's homepage for further tales.

Naomi Osaka is the best-paid female athlete on the planet.

The 22-year-passe tennis neatly-known particular person raked in $37.4 million within the previous year. Or no longer it is miles a feat that entails several data broken: Serena Williams used to be the field's best-paid female athlete for four years working, and Maria Sharapova beforehand held the title for basically the most money earned by a female athlete in a single year.

Osaka has apparently attain out of nowhere. An knowledgeable tennis player by the age of 16, she used to be largely taught pointers on how to hit the court by her father and refrained from the junior tennis circuit rising up.

Osaka did no longer work with her first knowledgeable tennis coach till age 18. Internal two years, she used to be finally thrust into the realm limelight when she received two Gigantic Slams abet-to-abet — which eager a distinguished upset for Osaka's feature model, Serena Williams, within the US Delivery.

Situation to compete within the World Olympics for Japan, Osaka now has a string of lucrative endorsement presents under her belt.

A representative for Osaka did no longer straight away answer to a attach a question to for comment from Industry Insider referring to her endorsement presents and their monetary information.

Right here's how Osaka grew to become the ideal-paid female athlete.

Naomi Osaka has become the ideal-paid female athlete on the planet, with earnings of $37.4 million within the previous year — and she's handiest 22.

Al Bello/Getty Photos

Osaka's earnings spoil the picture for basically the most money earned by a female athlete in a single year. That picture, per Forbes, used to be beforehand held by Maria Sharapova, who earned $29.7 million in 2015.

Her earnings additionally ended Serena Williams' worthwhile shuffle because the field's best-paid female athlete, a title William held for the previous four years. (Osaka earned $1.4 million extra than Williams over the final 12 months, in accordance to Forbes.) Osaka ranks within the 29th self-discipline and Williams ranks 33rd among the many 100 best-paid athletes on the planet.

Osaka wasn't even ranked on Forbes' 2019 list of best-paid athletes.

Osaka used to be born in Osaka, Japan, to a Japanese mother and Haitian father but moved to the US at age three. Grand of her early occupation took self-discipline out of the public scrutinize.

Graham Denholm/Getty

Osaka and her household first lived on Long Island before transferring to Florida, the epicenter of childhood tennis. She has one sister, Mari Osaka, who is additionally a well informed tennis player. Mari competes in decrease-level occasions and is 18 months older than Naomi.

With dual citizenship within the US and Japan, Osaka registered with the Japan Tennis Association rather than the United States Tennis Association at age 10.

Photograph by Kyodo News by plan of Getty Photos

"We made the choice that Naomi would describe Japan at an early age," Osaka's fogeys suggested Tom Perrotta of The Wall Avenue Journal. "Rather merely, Naomi and her sister Mari luxuriate in continually felt Japanese so that used to be our handiest rationale. It used to be never a financially motivated decision nor luxuriate in been we ever swayed either plan by any nationwide federation."

Osaka preferred to play in diminutive World Tennis Federation occasions, which don't appear to be typically televised, rather than junior tournaments. She declined to enter junior Gigantic Slam tournaments even when her ranking used to be high enough to qualify, Perrotta wrote.

Sean Gregory for TIME journal described the junior tennis circuit as "a cutthroat ambiance that burns out many promising teen avid gamers."

By age 16, Osaka grew to become knowledgeable. The USTA equipped Osaka a self-discipline in its program presently, but she educated at Harold Solomon Tennis Academy and the ProWorld Tennis Academy with her father as an alternative.

AP Photograph/Seth Wenig

Osaka and her sister luxuriate in been largely taught pointers on how to play tennis by their father, Leonard Francois, who would take them to public courts. 

A recreational player, Francois's tennis needs for his daughters started when he watched Venus and Serena Williams playing within the French Delivery on TV, wrote Gregory. He regarded to the Williams sisters as items for his daughters and copied the coaching plan their father took. 

Naomi and Mari luxuriate in been each and every homeschooled online so that they could dedicate further time to practising tennis.

At age 18, Osaka stepped up her sport: She started practising on the Evert Tennis Academy and acquired her first knowledgeable coach.

Getty/Quinn Rooney

She and her father would follow on the Evert Tennis Academy for two hours a day. "She had a quantity of raw expertise and she hit the ball a ton, but she wasn't transferring and she used to be making a quantity of errors," retired knowledgeable tennis player Chris Evert, who cofounded the academy, suggested the Journal.

But when she started training with two knowledgeable coaches — first David Taylor, then Serena Williams' frail hitting partner Sascha Bajin — Osaka's sport improved hasty.

In 2016, Osaka used to be named Newcomer of the Yr by the Females's Tennis Association. It used to be a monumental year for the 18-year-passe.

Issei Kato/Reuters

In January 2016 on the Australian Delivery, Osaka qualified to enter her first Gigantic Slam, rolling into the third spherical. She additionally reached the third spherical of the French Delivery and the US Delivery.

That same year, she grew to become the first Japanese player since 1995 to construct the finals within the Toray Pan Pacific Delivery, a WTA occasion in Tokyo.

Two years later, in March 2018, Osaka grew to become the first Japanese lady to put off the Indian Wells Masters in California (USA).

Supply: Naomi Osaka Profile

Osaka received two abet-to-abet Gigantic Slams at age 20: the 2018 US World Delivery — a controversial match with Serena Williams — and the 2019 Australian Delivery.

Naomi Osaka of Japan kisses the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup following victory in her Females's Singles Last match in opposition to Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic one day of day 13 of the 2019 Australian Delivery at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia.

Scott Barbour/Getty Photos

Osaka catapulted into movie neatly-known particular person following her first Gigantic Slam title on the 2018 US Delivery, which used to be an upset loss for Williams. It used to be a dramatic match that, as Macaela Mackenzie for Form puts it, eager accusations of an unfair name in opposition to Williams, a whole sport erased from Williams' picture, and a smashed racket. Williams had to finally expose followers to augment Osaka's put off.

Osaka grew to become the first player from Asia to construct No. 1 within the singles rankings.

Supply: WTA Tennis

Osaka now has 15 endorsement partners; in relation to all are price seven figures yearly.

Naomi Osaka in action on the French Delivery 2019.

Photograph by Reuters - Kai Pfaffenbach

With her endorsement money, Osaka partnered with several brands final year, in conjunction with rising sports drink BodyArmor and sport recovery tech firm Hyperice, with indispensable equity parts.

"I am if truth be told in seeing a younger industry grow and in conjunction with price to that route of," Osaka suggested Forbes in 2019. "I tasked my team with discovering brands that align with my personality and my pursuits."

Of us luxuriate in hailed Osaka because the next Serena Williams.

Andres Kudacki/AP

"Mentally, I if truth be told feel she's the very best female tennis player that I've viewed attain along since Serena," Rick Macci, a tennis trainer who worked with the Williams sisters when they luxuriate in been younger, suggested the Journal.

Osaka additionally has one in every of the quickest serves on picture at 125 miles per hour, handiest a diminutive slower than Serena's 128 miles per hour encourage.

Williams is reportedly Osaka's feature model, but Osaka would no longer explore herself because the next Serena. "I gain no longer mediate there could be ever going to be one more Serena Williams," she suggested TIME. "I mediate I'm going to be me. And I'm hoping members are OK with that."

More: Arts & Custom BI Get Naomi Osaka Tennis

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[googlenewson]

     "I've been here like over ten years ago...maybe it was like 17 years ago when I was a junior. I am enjoying my time here again..." Angelique Kerber confessed and laughed after winning her third round over America's qualifier Nicole Gibbs 6-2, 6-4. Kerber's losing deluge was broken and the experience was great as she hadn't gathered a win since the grassy knolls of Wimbledon. Nicole Gibbs had her triumphs too since coming back from the removal of a cancerous growth in her mouth this past summer. She was indeed an irritant to Kerber as she played her game so very finely in the beginning of the set. She sliced and diced Kerber's shots and they had an interesting duel of rallies and mixed spins and drop shots. It looked as though Gibbs would grab the first set but her winning shots started to fizzle into unforced errors. Kerber in return gathered momentum to produce solid winners of down-the-lines and cross court challenging winners for the opening set 6-2.

     The second set was a bit of an annoyance that Gibbs put on Kerber's game again. Gibbs certainly had what it took to win many points over the German. It was her cross court victory shots and opening up the court tactics that showed integrity. But those nasty unforced errors kept creeping up at crucial points. It was Kerber's consistency to execute wonderful shots at important times giving her the second set win 6-4 and match of 6-2, 6-4.

     This match was important for Kerber to build up not only great shots but a boost of confidence that she can prove herself a winner again. Besides from too many opening rounds of tournaments lost, Kerber has went through many coaching changes which has brought a compromise to her gamesmanship. Wims Fissette she had parted with and picked up Rainer Schuettler. Despite the fact of him not being involved in the WTA tour, this meant nothing to Kerber. "It was particularly important that we speak the same language," she emphasized. This could be taken in two ways being that he is German and that they are on the same page with how her career and strategies should go. The relationship lasted only eight months and after a slump in performances, Kerber decided that he would have to depart. "Moving forward, it's never easy to change--especially when you work with great people like Rainer," she said on her social media. It was under his coaching that she reached two finals but didn't win any championships. It was the July departure that had to be made. Kerber's new coach is Dirk Dier, a German who played professional tennis in 1990. He is the national coach of the German Tennis Association (DTB) and was hired by her during the Asian Swing. There may have been results already as she's starting to win again.

     After the Gibbs match the German may have been a bit breathy, but it was all good in breaking that nasty losing streak. She gave kudos to Gibbs saying "She really played well..." Kerber also gave herself a pat on the back with a big grin contributing her win in saying "I was ready to play every single point..."

Continue reading...

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[filtration-products]

IDA names Sanz new president as World Congress opens in Sao Paulo

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The Global Desalination Association (IDA) has named Miguel Angel Sanz, director of strategic enhancement at Suez therapy infrastructure, as its new president for 2017 to 2019, as IDA Globe Congress 2017 opened in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Monday 16 Oct 2017.

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Miguel Angel Sanz, director of strategic enhancement at Suez therapy infrastructure, will steer the IDA to 2019

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Sanz, who has led the specialized programming for IDA Globe Congress 2017, succeeds Emilio Gabbrielli, Toray abroad organization enhancement director, who introduced Congress to Latin The us for the initial time.

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The opening ceremony of the 2017 function, held at Sao Paulo’s Sheraton Globe Trade Centre, heard that desalination and reuse are starting to be critical different water sources as section of Brazil’s integrated vision of long run water sources.

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Jair Vieira Tannus Junior, secretary of water sources and environmental good quality at the ministry of ecosystem, Brazil, reported that the country’s Agua Doce programme will bring desalinated water to fifty percent a million people by 2019. The ministry, with countrywide and area municipalities, has a programme to promote entry to potable water as a result of desalination with proper environmental, social and specialized controls.

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“Drinking water is outlined as a community home in Brazil and ought to be managed as section of the ecosystem, decentralised and participative. Desalination fits in as section of an in general sustainable enhancement agenda,” Junior reported.

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He added that the North East of Brazil was the most water scarce location, wherever groundwater is also salty for human use. Even more, the ministry is incentivising non-potable reuse, largely for agriculture.

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Benedito Braga, president of the Globe Drinking water Council and water sources secretary for Sau Paulo state outlined how, next a water disaster in 2014, the state is now sharing know-how and technologies with other parts of Brazil, and has published new advanced polices on water reuse.

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“The water disaster assisted the inhabitants to realize that they had to use water more diligently, drove technological developments, and designed people see that desalination and reuse will be an critical section of the remedy,” Braga reported. 

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The IDA Globe Congress 2017 opening plenary also heard about desalination and water reuse policy in other parts of the environment, from Abdullah bin Ibrahim Al Abdulkaim, deputy governor, planning and enhancement, at SWCC in Saudi Arabia Niu Bo, director, office of resource conservation and ecosystem protection, China and Yousef Ebrahim Al Akraf, executive vice president of DEWA, Dubai.

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The post IDA names Sanz new president as World Congress opens in Sao Paulo appeared first on Filtration Products.

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[polaristranslations]

The Fifth Box

   ■   ■

While I was engaging in a lively and thrilling conversation during sibling alone time with my brother, Kurokami Maguro, in the Student Council office, Zenkichi wasn't just staying quiet. In the first place, that guy had the bad habit of sneaking around behind my back.

It was a sensitivity hard for me to understand, as someone who liked to stand out.

I'm always tempted to think that someone's desire to act in secret is due to something they have a guilty conscience about—although, in many works of fiction, heroes fight while hiding their true identities. In fact, it seems to be a tacit and unwritten rule that one's true identity must not be revealed, and while one is not fighting as a hero, it is common to live in a dull manner, like a lamp in the daytime.

Why is that?

I believe that heroes should get the credit they deserve.

If their actions are worthy of praise, then they should receive that praise.

Well... Putting aside whether or not Zenkichi's behind-the-scenes actions were worthy of praise... Ultimately, is it that the nail that sticks out gets hammered down? Perhaps a hero is just someone to be idolized, not an actual individual—it sounds rather sad, but I feel like a hero is a hero because they can accept jealousy and criticism.

Anyway, while I was talking with Kurokami Maguro, Zenkichi—my childhood friend, Hitoyoshi Zenkichi—was heading for where the Servant of Destruction was. I only learned of this long after it happened, though... It would be another day that I beat Zenkichi up and made him confess what happened, but since in terms of the chronology it happened at the same time, allow me to speak of it now.

Of course, I naturally wasn't there at the time, so this could be lacking in accuracy. And not to mention, even though Zenkichi likes to work behind the scenes, he had the weird personality that likes to put on airs in front of me and seek my praise, so let me inform you in advance about the possibility that he may be speaking to make himself look good.

Anyway.

Torai Kudaki, as you are a second-year, I'm sure you already know about the Servant of Destruction—that is, about the person who is now the former Servant of Destruction, Hakoniwa Academy Class 2-11, Akune Kouki.

Right, of course. There's no way you wouldn't know.

Even so, with his name recognition being such that there wasn't a girl in the second year of Hakoniwa Academy who didn't know him, it really was amazing... And it wasn't limited to just now. The name recognition of Akune Kouki when he was still known as the Servant of Destruction was also quite terrific.

The Servant of Destruction, Akune Kouki.

Hakobune Middle School's 66th Generation Student Council Executive Committee's General Affairs Manager, Akune Kouki.

In terms of name recognition, he was far more well-known than the President, Kumagawa Misogi, or the Secretary, Kurokami Maguro—of course, that was due to the fact that he violently fought on the front lines where he stood out the most, but I'm sure his good looks had something to do with it, too.

In fact, even when Akune Kouki made a name for himself as the Servant of Destruction, he was fairly popular with the girls—was it just that bad guys were more popular?

It was a painful reality for Zenkichi.

It might be a painful reality for him even now... Anyway, to recap for a bit, this story began as a result of my coming into contact with the Servant of Destruction, Akune Kouki.

Zenkichi would say that it was my battle with the Servant of Destruction that was the start of everything, but I would say that it was Zenkichi's battle with the Servant of Destruction that was the start of everything—the conflict in our opinions was hard to resolve, so we can just let that pass, but in any case, as President Kumagawa's right-hand man, Akune Kouki became the key that would lead to me being lured into the position of Treasurer in Hakobune Middle School's Student Council Executive Committee.

And while I'd visited my brother to ask about President Kumagawa—Zenkichi had gone to visit the Servant of Destruction for a similar reason. Thinking about it now, it was pretty extreme of me to brazenly visit the third-year building, but Zenkichi himself was pretty fearless to enter the second-year building so audaciously like that.

You could call it fearless, or you could say it was one of Zenkichi's strong points, with the easygoing way he went to meet someone who was nothing but hostile—in a good way, Zenkichi was rather friendly, but in a bad way, he was rather inconsiderate. I'm sure you want to say that I can't speak for others, but as for me, I treat my enemies as enemies. That balance is something I always try to keep in mind.

I think the way Zenkichi can get along with his enemies or rivals was something rather peculiar—well, it's true that I was saved as a result of that nature of his, so there's not much more I can say.

Although, as for Zenkichi, it's not something that's been resolved yet—well, that's no longer my jurisdiction now, but yours. If you can do something about that, then it'll really help me out.

In any case, that day after school—while I was still heading down the hallways—Zenkichi had already made it to the second-year classrooms. Without so much as a glance at the other second-years remaining in the classroom, he headed straight for the desk of the Servant of Destruction, Akune Kouki.

Rather than brazen or fearless, it was more arrogant. Well, just think of it as an episode from the days of a high school first-year at the peak of his impertinence—not to mention, the first thing he said to Akune Kouki was this.

"Yo, Akune-senpai. Weren't you supposed to be reformed?"

I did my best to mimic him, but in reality he sounded more like he was picking a fight—it's not hard to imagine that his tone of voice was more like an accusation.

"So why are you trying to lead Medaka-chan down the path of evil?"

"Eh?"

Akune Kouki supposedly gave that surprised response in return—at this point, it was already well-known throughout the school that Akune Kouki, the Servant of Destruction, had quit performing his acts of destruction, but even so, Zenkichi had said he was perplexed by the serious expression on his face.

How can someone's personality change so easily?

That was what Zenkichi had said.

Well, Zenkichi was the kind of guy that never wavered, or rather, he had clearly-defined beliefs (though I didn't know what they were) that he never departed from, so he would have a hard time understanding Akune Kouki's "change of heart" or "conversion"—well, in my case, even though I may seem stubborn, there's a part of me that's easily influenced by the people around me, so it's not like I don't understand how Akune Kouki felt.

Anyway, Akune Kouki reacted as if it was the first time hearing what Zenkichi had said.

"The path of evil... What do you mean by that, Hitoyoshi-kun?"

"Hitoyoshi-kun..."

Being called that, Zenkichi was even more perplexed.

Well, that made sense, considering up until now, Akune Kouki had referred to Zenkichi without any honorifics—or rather, he had not even bothered to remember his name, so suddenly being referred to by his name would be perplexing.

Of course, it wasn't as if Akune Kouki didn't have any ill feelings remaining towards Zenkichi, either, so his tone of voice probably wasn't as gentle as I reproduced it.

It was only recently that the two of them fostered a good senior-junior relationship—if you took that out of the equation, then the fact that the two of them were able to have a conversation at all at this point in time was shocking, considering what had occurred a little while before.

That's how violent Zenkichi and Akune Kouki's confrontation had been.

"Don't refer to me in such an unpleasant way, Akune-senpai."

"And it's not like you were the type of guy that would call me senpai... But whatever. But I'm curious about what you just said, so I'll ask again. What do you mean when you say that I'm leading Medaka-san down the path of evil?"

"And you're calling Medaka-chan 'Medaka-san'... Well, not like it matters."

Zenkichi sat down in an open seat.

He may have come to the classroom with the intent to get into a brawl or a fistfight once again with Akune Kouki again, but he must have been taken aback by the Servant of Destruction's unexpected reaction.

Though I'm tempted to say, don't just settle yourself down in a second-year classroom.

Not that I was one to speak, having broken the window of a third-year classroom.

"Well, it's not like I really know the details myself... Or rather, it's only just today that I learned that you were the General Affairs Manager of the Student Council Executive Committee."

"Is that so. Well, it isn't like I go around calling myself that, so..."

Akune Kouki nodded.

"Plus, rather than calling myself the General Affairs Manager of the Student Council Executive Committee, the Servant of Destruction is catchier and easier to spread."

"Ha. That's for sure—but yeah, it was pretty unpredictable, the idea that a person that loves to destroy people is standing over others."

"......"

Apparently, at this point, Akune Kouki gave a troubled smile.

Here, ordinary people might have shifted the blame of his destructive acts to President Kumagawa, who had given the orders—even Zenkichi had expected such a response, but the Servant of Destruction did not give any such excuse.

Not that it was all good just because he didn't make excuses for himself.

But to that response, Zenkichi felt a little ashamed of being sarcastic towards a person who had been converted, but he must have thought it would be strange if he apologized then, as he continued as he was.

"Akune-senpai."

"You can call me Kouki."

"Um, no, we're not that close... Akune-senpai. What kind of guy is Student Council President Kumagawa? That's what I came to ask."

Zenkichi got straight to the point.

Just as he is now, he was bad at being roundabout.

"I heard that President Kumagawa invited Medaka-chan to the Student Council Executive Committee."

Zenkichi explained what had occurred since lunch break.

A concise explanation that omitted the irrelevant parts.

"...To be honest, since I entered this school, I can't say I know much about President Kumagawa—or rather, I don't know anything. Although, I do know about the Secretary, Maguro-san..."

"Maguro-san... Ah."

There, Akune Kouki sighed.

"That's right. Medaka-san is that person's—little sister."

"You didn't know?"

"If I'd known, I wouldn't have gotten so involved—I would have been scared of what came afterwards. No, maybe not that scared... Considering how I was in the past."

"It wasn't that long ago. Well, it's still all a little hard to believe, honestly. For the record, I think you're still a total scoundrel, and even if you say you've reformed, I dunno how long you plan to stay that way—but even so, I approve of your manliness."

"Sorry, but that seems like a miscalculation. I don't think I've done anything to get your approval."

"Then, let me put it another way. I don't know many people who are as superior as you—and you don't deny that you're on the superior side, right? It's hard to believe that there are people who can subjugate the superior you and Maguro-san."

"Subjugate... huh."

Apparently, at this point, Akune Kouki made a rather meaningful expression.

Since Zenkichi had not come into any sort of contact with Kumagawa yet, he was unable to read anything from that expression—well, even thinking about it now, it surely wasn't an easily readable expression.

The idea that Kumagawa Misogi had subjugated someone.

For those who knew Kumagawa Misogi, there might not be anything more off-the-mark—but the truth was that he did stand above Kurokami Maguro and Akune Kouki, and he did stand above the entire student body. So from Akune Kouki's standpoint, it may have been hard to deny.

"And now, on top of that, he's trying to draw in Medaka-san, too... Well, that does seem like something Kumagawa-san would do."

Akune Kouki spoke as if talking to himself.

Perhaps he was comparing himself to me.

"But what could that person be thinking?"

"You're asking that?... Akune-senpai, I came to you because I wanted to ask you that," said Zenkichi, bewildered.

Well, I was describing him as if I were there, but I was pretty sure that he was bewildered.

"By the way, Medaka-chan went to see Maguro-san to ask that. What kind of guy this Kumagawa is—and why she was invited."

"So in the meantime, you came to me behind-the-scenes, huh. You sure are clever, or rather, surprisingly cunning. Well, it's the right action to take, but..."

Mmm.

This isn't working out, Torai Kudaki.

Since this is all what I've heard secondhand, I can't get rid of the image of the conversation taking place in a friendly atmosphere because of how I know the two of them now—but in fact, the conversation may have been a bit more tense than that.

"But even if you ask me, I can only respond that I don't know."

"Haah?"

Well, I was pretty sure that Zenkichi was threatening him at this point.

The air was quite capable of turning explosive, but it seemed that the Servant of Destruction was the one to back down. Although he was the one that was more consistent—after all, until Zenkichi had come to see him, he hadn't known that President Kumagawa had called out to me.

"I have no way of knowing what Kumagawa-san is thinking—I was sure that he would take adversarial actions towards Medaka-san, though... When that happened, I swore that I would stand by Medaka-san's side, that I would use this body of mine to protect Medaka-san, but now that he's gone in the opposite direction, Kumagawa-san really is hard to predict..."

"I'm the one who's gonna protect Medaka-chan. There's not gonna be any need to borrow your strength."

It was what Zenkichi said, but it's pretty embarrassing to repeat it myself.

Well, this sort of back-and-forth has stopped now, but it was something you'd see rather often even at Hakoniwa Academy. It seemed they didn't really have any thoughts about cooperating with each other in that regard—there was no use saying it now, but if they had done so, it wasn't impossible that things could have gone in a slightly better direction during summer break.

The cooperation between Akune Kouki and Hitoyoshi Zenkichi.

I would have to wait three more years to see such a sight.

"Well... I'll confirm this with Kumagawa-san. Speaking of which, he did tell us that we absolutely needed to come to the Student Council office tomorrow morning, sending out an order for us to convene. Even though we're supposed to have flexible schedules... Since Hakobune Middle School's Student Council Executive Committee allows us to act freely, an order for us to convene is definitely unusual."

"So you're all gonna meet tomorrow?"

"It seems so. Perhaps it was meant to be a surprise from Kumagawa-san to me... I suppose I should say thanks, Hitoyoshi-kun, for allowing me to prepare myself mentally."

"It's not like I came here to help you out at all..."

But it seemed Zenkichi wasn't completely dissatisfied.

Well, this was just how I imagined it, though.

That guy had the habit of trying to act tough when he was thanked, you see.

"But this went completely against what I was expecting... If you had nothing to do with this plan, then I guess there's nothing more I can do here."

"Is that so? Why not ask Maguro-san? I may not have known, but Maguro-san is Medaka-san's brother, so he should be willing to go along with you, as her childhood friend, right?"

"Yeah... I mean, yes, but. That person seems to hate me, you see."

"Hate you...? Ah, I get it. Someone of your type would certainly be hated by Maguro-san..."

The reason Akune Kouki was acting like he knew something here was because there was something unique about him and Kurokami Maguro—but I'm sure there will be another opportunity to talk about that someday.

If I talked about it now, it would probably get pretty confusing, so forget it for now.

"Understood, Hitoyoshi-kun. For now, after tomorrow's meeting ends, I'll update you on the situation—do you have a cell phone? Good, then, let's exchange numbers and email addresses."

"All right... I'll look forward to it."

And, after exchanging contact information, Zenkichi stood from his seat. Well, the second-year classroom had to be a bit uncomfortable for him as a first-year, so it made sense that he would want to leave as soon as his business was done.

But, as he turned to leave,

"Hitoyoshi-kun,"

Said Akune Kouki, stopping him.

"One more thing—according to what you said earlier, it sounded like you were the one responsible for connecting Medaka-san and Kumagawa-san together."

"Eh? Um, connecting, you say... All I did was give Medaka-chan the message that she should go to the Student Council office... At that point, I didn't know that President Kumagawa had any plans to invite Medaka-chan to the Student Council Executive Committee."

"No, that wasn't the point I was trying to make. Even if it wasn't you, I'm sure someone else would have been the one to connect them... But, Hitoyoshi-kun."

Akune Kouki posed the question.

"Who exactly was the student that entrusted you with that message?"

   ■   ■

And, the following day.

As the new student who would be taking up the position of Treasurer, I was introduced to the other members of the Student Council.

Hakobune Middle School's 66th Generation Student Council Executive Committee.

President, Kumagawa Misogi.

General Affairs Manager, Akune Kouki.

Secretary, Kurokami Maguro.

And the Vice President was—