Tennis: Osaka withdraws from Indian Wells

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from next month's rescheduled ATP/WTA Indian Wells tournament in California, organisers confirmed on Wednesday (Sept 22). The 23-year-old Japanese star is a former champion at Indian Wells, winning the title in 2018 with victory over Daria Kasatkina. Osaka said earlier this month she planned to take an indefinite break from tennis after an early exit from the US Open. "I honestly don't know when I'm going to play my next tennis match," Osaka said following her third round defeat to Canadian teen Leylah Fernandez. "I think I'm going to take a break from playing for a while." Osaka, who dropped out of the top five in the latest world rankings, has been in the spotlight this year after withdrawing from the French Open and skipping Wimbledon over mental health issues. Osaka said her problems were exacerbated by speaking to the media after matches. Osaka had also made an early exit from Cincinnati last month, and had bowed out of the Tokyo Olympics in the early rounds in July. More on this topic   Related Story Tennis: Osaka earns support after announcing break from sport   Related Story Tennis: Teen Fernandez stuns Osaka to reach last 16 at US Open

Tennis: Confident Osaka sees no more Slam pullouts like French Open

NEW YORK (AFP) - Defending US Open champion Naomi Osaka has ruled out any future repeats of her abrupt withdrawal from the French Open, saying on Friday (Aug 27) she would have handled the controversy differently if given the chance. The four-time Grand Slam winner, seeking her third New York title, dropped out at Roland Garros after skipping post-match interviews with reporters, saying it caused her mental health distress. When she was fined and warned future similar violations could bring greater punishments, Osaka withdrew from the tournament and skipped Wimbledon as well, her actions raising global awareness of the mental challenges facing world-class athletes. Speaking in a room of reporters on Friday with more tuned in virtually, the 23-year-old Japanese star said she would do things differently if put in the same situation again. "I feel like there's a lot of things I did wrong in that moment," Osaka said on Friday. "But I'm also the type of person that's very in the moment, like whatever I feel I'll say it or do it. I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. "I think there's a lot of things I learned to do better. Of course, I don't feel the same situation will happen again. I'd say maybe think it through a bit more in the way that I didn't know how big a deal it would become." Osaka, seeded third in the final Grand Slam event of the year that begins Monday, said she was happier to have people asking questions rather than getting them over audio and video monitors. "Definitely it feels better to see the person," Osaka said. "It's really off-putting just to be seated in front of a screen. Maybe that's one of the reasons why I feel, like, a lot of nerves. But it feels much better to be talking to a human." Osaka, who lit the cauldron in the opening ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympics, has played only once since then, losing in her second match last week at Cincinnati. "I know I haven't played that many matches. I know that I haven't even gotten to a quarterfinal," Osaka said. "Actually, I feel pretty happy with how I'm playing. I feel pretty confident with where I am right now. I'm not declaring that I'll do amazing here. I'm the one-match-at-a-time person. Hopefully it will work out in the end." More on this topic   Related Story Tennis: Osaka could meet Sabalenka, Barty may face Pliskova in US Open semis   Related Story Tennis: Naomi Osaka leaves press conference in tears Osaka says she has had to adjust to feeling people look differently at her when they watch her play, a factor that could be a factor with full capacity crowds being allowed at the US Open after spectators were banned last year due to Covid-19. "It will definitely feel a bit different. I don't really know how to describe it, but I kind of had to get over the feeling of people's gazes feeling a bit different to me," Osaka said. "At the same time, I started to tell myself that it is what it is. I did what I did, so I can't really change people's perception on me. "It might make me feel a little bit nervous. But first rounds always make me feel a little nervous. Maybe I can just attribute it to that. I guess I'll find out when I'm in that situation." Not a 'robot Superman' Osaka said she would like to be able to see the court as a sanctuary from off-court troubles, but she doesn't. "It would be nice if there was that line for me, but no. I'm the type of person that everything is sort of the same," Osaka said. "You could see it earlier on in my career. If there was something that was not right in my personal life, you could kind of see it in my playing. "It would be really cool if I could draw that line and be able to be like a robot Superman that could go on the court, focus just on tennis. "But no, I'm the type that kind of focuses on everything at one time. That's why everything is sort of muddled to me." More on this topic   Related Story Olympics: Support for Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka shows progress on mental health   Related Story Athletes don't wear capes, they're human and hurt

Tennis: Osaka recovers to hold off Gauff at WTA Cincinnati Masters

CINCINNATI (AFP) - Japan’s Naomi Osaka recovered to take a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over American Coco Gauff and advance into the third round of the WTA Cincinnati Masters on Wednesday (Aug 18). The four-time Grand Slam winner is playing her first event since the Tokyo Olympics, where she went out in the third round. Gauff won the pair’s most recent prior match in the third round of the 2020 Australian Open after losing to Osaka a year earlier at the US Open. Before the Games, Osaka last played at Roland Garros after announcing she would reserve the right to avoid mandatory post-match media conferences, which she said damaged her mental health. That vow lasted through a first-round stadium interview before she withdrew, going on to also skip Wimbledon. The issue flared again this week in her first news conference, with a straightforward query causing her to burst into tears before composing herself and getting through the session. On court, Angelique Kerber defeated Elina Svitolina 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 while former US Open winner Bianca Andreescu of Canada lost to Karolina Muchova 6-4, 6-2 in the second round. More on this topic   Related Story Tennis: Naomi Osaka leaves press conference in tears   Related Story Olympics: Athletes who have battled mental health issues

Tennis: Osaka leaves press conference in tears

CINCINNAITI (REUTERS) - A tearful Naomi Osaka briefly left a press conference in Cincinnati on Monday (Aug 16) after her relationship with the journalists was put under the spotlight by a reporter who accused her of using the media when it suits her. Osaka has lately had a strained relationship with sections of the media, saying her mental health is adversely impacted by certain lines of questioning. Hence on Monday when a local Cincinnati reporter at the Western and Southern Open suggested that Osaka benefits from her huge media profile but does not like speaking to reporters, the world number two teared up as she tried to formulate an answer. "When you say I'm not crazy about dealing with you guys, what does that refer to?" asked Osaka, who is of Japanese-Haitian heritage. "Ever since I was younger, I have had a lot of media interest on me, and I think it's because of my background as well. "I can't really help that there are some things that I tweet or some things that I say that kind of create a lot of news articles or things like that... but I would also say I'm not really sure how to balance the two. Like I'm figuring it out at the same time as you are, I would say." During the exchange, she wiped away tears and pulled her visor over her eyes to hide her face before the moderator called for a pause to proceedings. Osaka left the room briefly but returned to complete the news conference after regaining her composure. The exchange highlighted the challenges Osaka faces as one of the world's most famous athletes. In the lead up to this year's French Open in May, Osaka said she would be boycotting the obligatory post-match news conferences at the claycourt major to protect her mental health. The decision led to a backlash from Grand Slam tournament organisers, who fined her and threatened to ban her from the majors if she refused to speak to the media. The standoff not only led to Osaka revealing that she has struggled to cope with depression for a number of years but it also prompted her to pull out from Roland Garros and Wimbledon for the sake of her mental well-being. After losing early at the Tokyo Games, where she was given the honour of lighting the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony, she admitted she struggled to cope with the huge pressure and expectation placed on her. Osaka's agent Stuart Duguid condemned the reporter's line of questioning on Monday in a written statement provided to Reuters. "The bully at the Cincinnati Enquirer is the epitome of why player/media relations are so fraught right now," said Duguid. More on this topic   Related Story Tennis: Osaka plans to help out Haiti earthquake relief efforts   Related Story Critics pounce on Naomi Osaka after loss, denting Japan's claim to diversity "Everyone on that Zoom will agree that his tone was all wrong and his sole purpose was to intimidate. Really appalling behavior," he said. "And this insinuation that Naomi owes her off court success to the media is a myth - don't be so self-indulgent." The reporter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The 23-year-old Japanese player has used her platform to call attention to mental health issues and said she has felt supported by her fellow athletes. "The biggest eye opener was going to the Olympics and having other athletes come up to me and say they were really glad that I did what I did," she said. "I'm proud of what I did and I think that it was something that needed to be done." More on this topic   Related Story Olympics: Naomi Osaka crashes out of tennis tournament   Related Story Tennis: Osaka withdraws from French Open in wake of media boycott row

Tennis: Osaka, Kenin, Swiatek withdraw from WTA Montreal event

MONTREAL (AFP) - Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, fourth-ranked Sofia Kenin and eighth-ranked Iga Swiatek have withdrawn from next week's Montreal WTA tournament, Tennis Canada announced on Tuesday (Aug 3). Japan's Osaka, the reigning US and Australian Open champion, and Poland's Swiatek, the 2020 French Open winner, played at the Tokyo Olympics, Osaka losing in the third round to silver medalist Marketa Vondrousova and Swiatek falling in round two to Spain's Paula Badosa. "I'm sorry to be missing out on Montreal this year," Osaka said. "I hope to see you all in Canada next year." Swiatek cited a need to rest in pulling out of the US Open hardcourt tuneup event. "The first part of the season was so intense that I need a couple of days off to rest and prepare for the next few months," she said. Kenin, a 22-year-old American who won last year's Australian Open, has been sidelined by a foot injury since Wimbledon. "While I'm making progress, my foot injury is not where I need it to be to play at the highest level," Kenin said. "I feel another week of recovery and rehab is necessary." World number three Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus becomes the first seed as a result of Osaka's departure. "Of course we are disappointed," said tournament director Eugene Lapierre. "But despite their withdrawals, we are still counting on exceptional players in the draw." The lineup also includes Canada's Bianca Andreescu and Romania's Simona Halep, a two-time Canadian champion. China's Zhang Shuai, Czech Marie Bouzkova and Russia's Liudmila Samsonova moved into main draw berths.

Tennis: Osaka finds support after decision to skip press at French Open

PARIS (REUTERS) - Naomi Osaka received support from several athletes on Thursday (May 27) but was slammed by French Tennis Federation (FFT) President Gilles Moretton after saying she would not attend press conferences at this year's French Open. Having said that the nature of the questions puts an undue burden on players' mental health, four-times Grand Slam champion Osaka was supported by rival Iga Swiatek's sports psychologist. Retired Fomula One champion Nico Rosberg, former tennis player Zina Garrison and British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith also lent support to world number two Osaka. "Naomi Osaka has a point, but it is two side to this coin," Garrison tweeted. "She will be able to pay for the fine most Athletes can't. Love you are bring awareness to mental health in sports. Come together with all sides and work on a solution now." Rosberg told Reuters on Thursday: "I think it's quite a ballsy step again from her. I can understand because when I was on my way to the championship… I switched everything off. No media, no news, no emails." But Moretton had no sympathy for Osaka. "It's a deep regret, for you journalists, for her (Naomi Osaka) personally and for tennis in general," Moretton said. "I think this is a phenomenal mistake. It shows to what extent today (the need) that there is strong governance in tennis. "What is happening there is, in my opinion, not acceptable. We will stick to the laws and rules for penalties and fines." Brazilian Indy Car driver Tony Kanaan concurred with Moretton. "I find this day relaxing instead of focusing on the race," Kanaan said at the Indy 500 media day. "Some people hate the media. I think it's silly. It's not about you, the sport will survive. Somebody else will do those interviews." More on this topic   Related Story Tennis: Naomi Osaka to boycott media at French Open 'for mental health'   Related Story Tennis: Second seed Osaka falls at first hurdle in Rome According to the Grand Slam rule book, players can be fined up to US$20,000 (S$26,000) for skipping a media conference but Osaka said she was ready to accept any sanction. Osaka hoped the "considerable amount" that she expected to forfeit would go towards a mental health charity. "I'm writing this to say I'm not going to do any press during Roland Garros," Japan's Osaka, who lives in the United States, wrote on Twitter. "I've often felt that people have no regard for athletes' mental health, and this rings true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one," she added. "We're often sat there and asked questions that we've been asked multiple times before, and I'm just not going to subject myself to people that doubt me." Sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz, who works with French Open winner Swiatek, said she appreciated Osaka's concern about facing questions after a defeat. "I absolutely understand the decision in terms of when a player loses a match, and tennis is such a specific sport because at the end of the tournament only one person does not lose," she told Reuters on Thursday. "It's tough emotionally to cope with it; it is one of the challenges that tennis brings. It's sometimes overwhelming." Mental health Mental health problems have been a point of discussion since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 when the tours started operating in front of empty stands after a five-month shutdown. Earlier this year, Frenchman Benoit Paire, a former top-20 player, said he was "mentally exhausted" by life on the tour amid the Covid-19 restrictions and found no joy in playing without fans. Osaka, 23, made headlines this week when sports business website Sportico reported she had earned US$55.2 million over the past 12 months, a record haul for a female athlete. She has in the past used her platform and considerable press attention to highlight issues of police violence and racial inequality. The French Open, which starts on Sunday, has never been a happy hunting ground for Osaka, who skipped the event last year amid the Covid-19 pandemic. She has not got past the third round in four appearances. The International Tennis Federation and the WTA Tour did not immediately respond to requests for comment. More on this topic   Related Story Tennis: Naomi Osaka says risk of staging Tokyo Olympics must be carefully weighed   Related Story Tennis: Nadal, Osaka win top Laureus sports awards The French tennis federation FFT, which organises the major, told Reuters it would make "no comment for now". "As a sponsor, we respect the feelings and will of the athletes," Japanese instant noodle-maker Nissin, one of Osaka's top sponsors, said in a statement sent to Reuters. "However, we are not in a position to comment on their individual opinions and actions, so we will refrain from doing so." A spokeswoman for Japanese car manufacturer Nissan Motor said it had no comment while an All Nippon Airways spokesman declined to comment. Osaka's other sponsors did not respond to requests for comment.

Tennis: Osaka advances while Barty ousts Azarenka at Miami Open

MIAMI (AFP) - Reigning US and Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka advanced to the Miami Open quarter-finals on Monday (March 29), stretching her win streak to 23 matches by defeating Belgian 16th seed Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-3. The second-ranked Japanese star will next face the winner of a later match between US 29th seed Jessica Pegula and Greek 23rd seed Maria Sakkari at the WTA and ATP Masters Series event. "I started off really well and then for some reason I became a little sluggish. My speed didn't really feel the same," Osaka said. "I thought it was really mental from then on. In the end, it was who fought the hardest." Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka broke at love for a 2-0 lead and broke again for a 5-1 edge but Mertens broke Osaka at love in the seventh game and denied four set points for Osaka to hold in an eighth game that lasted almost 10 minutes. Osaka, seeking her first Miami crown, saved a break point with her third ace and finally finished off the first set on her seventh chance with a service winner. In the second set, Osaka needed her fifth chance of the third game to break Mertens, only for the Belgian to quickly break back to 2-2 and hold to 3-2 before requiring treatment for a right shoulder injury. Osaka won the last four games after that, breaking at love in the seventh game, holding at love in the eighth and breaking again to end matters after 88 minutes when Mertens netted a forehand. Top-ranked defending champion Ashleigh Barty battled into the quarter-finals by outlasting former world number one Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 1-6, 6-2. Australia's Barty broke five times, the last when Azarenka netted a forehand volley to end matters after one hour and 52 minutes at Hard Rock Stadium. Barty, who had to save a match point on the way to a three-set victory over Kristina Kucova in the second round, will next face seventh seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, who downed Czech 19th seed Marketa Vondrousova 6-1, 6-2. "I'm just excited I get to be in another quarter-final of a big event," Barty said. "I still feel like there's a lot better tennis left out there for me. I still don't feel like I'm playing my very best just yet, but I'm fighting through and I'm finding ways to win, which is great." The 2019 French Open winner dominated the first set but Azarenka broke her for a 2-0 lead in the second, then fought back from 0-40 down to hold for 3-0 on the way to forcing a third set, the Aussie failing to a point off her second serve in set two. Barty and Azarenka traded breaks in the second and third games of the final set. Azarenka denied Barty on two break chances in the fourth game but the 24-year-old Queenslander broke in the sixth to seize the lead and again on the final point. "First two sets probably had some pretty big momentum swings, but I think the third set was a real tussle," Barty said. More on this topic   Related Story Tennis: Barty, Tsitsipas, Rublev advance in Miami as Halep withdraws   Related Story Tennis: Osaka in Miami fourth round for first time "It was just about staying the course and over time trying to execute my game plan as best I can and try and kind of bring it back onto my racquet where I felt I was in control a little bit more in that third set." Ukraine's fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina rallied to defeat Czech ninth seed Petra Kvitova 2-6, 7-5, 7-5. "I'm really happy with how I bounced back from being a set down," Svitolina said. "I'm happy with how I'm playing and handling the pressure. I had to bring my best game to win." Svitolina's quarter-final foe will be either Croatia's 338th-ranked Ana Konjuh or Latvia's 57th-ranked Anastasija Sevastova. Rublev to face Cilic On the men's side, Russian fourth seed Andrey Rublev routed Hungarian 29th seed Marton Fucsovics 6-2, 6-1, to reach the fourth round. "I've played some great tennis last couple of months," Rublev said. "We'll see if I can keep going." The 23-year-old from Moscow will next face Croatia's 32-year-old Marin Cilic, the world number 45 who beat Italy's 19-year-old Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-4. "Very pleased," Cilic said. "Just have to battle it out with these youngsters. I've got to keep the heads high for the veterans on the tour." Canada's 19th-ranked Milos Raonic beat 30th-ranked Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-4, 7-5 and next faces Polish 26th seed Hubert Hurkacz, who dispatched Canadian sixth seed Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 7-6 (8/6). More on this topic   Related Story Tennis: Top seed Medvedev limps into Miami Open fourth round   Related Story Tennis: Top-ranked Barty wins; Halep out of Miami Open with sore shoulder

Tennis: Osaka in Miami fourth round for first time

MIAMI (AFP) - Naomi Osaka reached the fourth round of the Miami Open without lifting a racquet Sunday (March 28), advancing by walkover when scheduled opponent Nina Stojanovic withdrew with a right thigh injury. Second-ranked Osaka, the reigning US and Australian Open champion, is in the last 16 of the prestigious ATP Masters and WTA event at the Hard Rock Stadium for the first time in five appearances. The Japanese star next faces 16th-seeded Belgian Elise Mertens, who defeated Anett Kontaveit of Estonia 6-2, 0-6, 6-2. Osaka had looked a little rusty in her second-round opener, her first match since she lifted her fourth Grand Slam title at Melbourne in February. An efficient serve and her ability to control the jitters saw her beat Croatian Ajla Tomljanovic 7-6 (7/3), 6-4. With a victory in Miami, Osaka could overtake Ashleigh Barty - who won the most recent edition of the tournament in 2019 - atop the world rankings, provided the Australian doesn't reach the final. In other early women's action, 29th-seeded American Jessica Pegula ousted sixth-seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova, Miami runner-up in 2019, by 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. American John Isner, the men's champion in 2018 and runner-up in 2019, booked a fourth-round spot with a 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5) victory over 11th-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. The match was a near-carbon copy of Isner's two-tiebreak win over Auger-Aliassime in the 2019 semi-finals. Neither player faced a break point, Isner commanding the slight edge needed in the tiebreakers with the aid of 16 total aces to the Canadian's 11. The 35-year-old US veteran next faces another familiar foe in Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut. The seventh seed beat Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to book a chance to avenge his 2019 quarter-final Miami loss to Isner. Sunday's men's action was highlighted by top-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia, who battled for a place in the last 16 against 86th-ranked Australian Alexei Popyrin. More on this topic   Related Story Tennis: Naomi Osaka shakes off rust to win Miami opener   Related Story Tennis: Osaka's elevation from shy youngster to face of women's tennis Medvedev owns a 2-0 career record against the 21-year-old Aussie, who captured his first ATP title in Singapore last month. "He's a great player," Medvedev said of his sometime practice partner Popyrin. "Great strokes, great serve. Solid baseline player, but he can go to the net, hit winners from all corners of the court. "It's going to be a tough match," added Medvedev, who followed a runner-up finish to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open in February with his 10th ATP title at Marseille to rise to No. 2 in the world behind the Serbian star.

Osaka University to Start Operation of NEC’s Cloud-linked Supercomputer System

TOKYO, Dec 14, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - The Cybermedia Center, Osaka University, in cooperation with NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701), announced today it will introduce a new cloud-linked High Performance Computing (HPC) and High Performance Data Analysis (HPDA) supercomputer system from NEC. This will replace the existing system provided by NEC, and is scheduled to commence operation in May 2021.The new supercomputer system is composed of 1,520 general-purpose CPU nodes, each of which is a state-of-the-art general-purpose computational node with a 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processor (codename Ice Lake) featuring Intel Deep Learning boost technology, 42 GPU nodes, each of which is equipped with eight NVIDIA A100 Tensor Core GPUs that accelerate workload for AI, data analytics, HPC, and visualization and 36 VECTOR nodes, each of which features eight NEC SX-Aurora TSUBASA units that allow faster and highly efficient simulation of weather, seismic, hydraulic, and other phenomena. The new system is a hybrid supercomputer system that can deliver a theoretical performance of higher than 16 petaflops, centered on a storage appliance equipped with DDN EXAScaler high-performance parallel filesystems from DataDirect Networks, which provides 20 petabytes as a large-capacity data area and 1.2 petabytes as a high-speed data area.NVIDIA Mellanox HDR InfiniBand provides the high speed, low latency, and smart connectivity between the nodes. The general-purpose CPU nodes are set to become the largest computational resource in Japan as a supercomputer system equipped with Ice Lake. Furthermore, the new supercomputer system is notable not only as a computing resource and data storage but also for tailor-made functionality that allows researchers to dynamically deploy and utilize the software stack of their choice. Moreover, the following new services for improving user friendliness, which accelerates and improves user-experience, are also being offered:1. Data aggregation infrastructure:The new supercomputer system is centered on EXAScaler appliances equipped with DDN high-performance parallel filesystems that provide 20 petabytes of large data area and 1.2 petabytes of high-speed data area. The DDN EXAScaler appliances provide the university with a next-generation data aggregation infrastructure named Osaka University Next-generation Infrastructure for Open research and innovation (ONION) in conjunction with Cloudian's Object-Storage HyperStore. ONION allows for a wide variety of data access protocols and significantly improves the flexibility of data usage. By facilitating the sharing of data with cloud services and other research institutions through ONION, the data before/after computation can be smoothly and flexibly shared among users.2. Secure computing environment:The new supercomputer system provides a secure computing environment where users can make use of confidential data with assurance. This computing environment offers a secure staging function as an achievement of collaborative research and development between NEC and the Cybermedia Center, Osaka University. Highly confidential data in the storage on campus can be computed and analyzed by the compute nodes on the new supercomputer system, without the data being moved from storage. The secure computing environment also offers a secure partitioning function that dynamically separates and isolates the network for a specific user group and thus provides services that prevent other users from seeing the data and computations. Until today, when used by the medical field and companies, large-scale computing resources provided by supercomputing centers such as the Cybermedia Center, Osaka University could not be fully utilized because of several data security issues. By taking advantage of this secure computing environment, an isolated environment can be dynamically prepared, thus enabling research and development in areas where it was previously unavailable.3. Cloud bursting function:The new supercomputer system also provides cloud bursting capabilities that enable the on-demand use of the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure cloud service and the Microsoft Azure cloud service. The Cybermedia Center, Osaka University has had issues in the past with high utilization of on-premises computational resources and long waiting times. Switching part of the computation processes to resources on private cloud services makes it possible to respond to the growing demand for resources while providing the same capabilities as the on-premises computing environment. It also provides flexibility for new computational resources that continue to be updated on cloud services.The Cybermedia Center at Osaka University has named the new supercomputer system SQUID (Supercomputer for Quest for Unsolved Interdisciplinary Datascience) to address unsolved interdisciplinary data science challenges for researchers supporting academia and industry in Japan. The Cybermedia Center, Osaka University will now work in cooperation with NEC, Intel, NVIDIA, DDN, Cloudian, Oracle Japan, and Microsoft Japan to construct the new supercomputer system for cloud-linked High Performance Computing and High Performance Data Analysis that works in conjunction with the cloud. They will provide new supercomputer systems that meet diverse computational needs from the fields of HPDA, such as machine learning and deep learning, as well as numerical calculations and scientific simulations in HPC fields. SQUID will support various research areas and researchers and contribute to groundbreaking future research analysis and findings.(*) All listed system names and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of each respective company or trademark owner.Cooperative companies:Cyber Media Center, Osaka UniversityNEC CorporationIntel CorporationNVIDIA CorporationDataDirect Networks Japan, Inc.Cloudian, Inc.Oracle Corporation JapanAbout NEC CorporationNEC Corporation has established itself as a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies while promoting the brand statement of "Orchestrating a brighter world." NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. For more information, visit NEC at https://www.nec.com. Copyright 2020 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com