Naomi Osaka ends seven-year wait for French Open third round

Japan’s four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka advanced to the third round of the French Open for the first time in seven years after defeating Croatia’s Donna Vekic 7-6(1), 6-4 on Thursday, News.Az reports, citing Kyodo.

Former world No. 1 Osaka came back from being a break down twice in the opening set before dominating the tiebreak at Roland Garros.

In the second set, she secured a decisive break with a forehand winner into the corner to take a 5-4 lead before serving out the match against the Paris Olympics silver medalist.

Osaka, who won the 2018 and 2020 US Opens along with the 2019 and 2021 Australian Opens, gave birth to her daughter in July 2023 before returning to professional tennis. Last year, she reached the semifinals of the US Open.

“I've definitely tried to focus a lot on my physical fitness, but that's also something that I've grown into since coming back from pregnancy,” said Osaka, currently ranked 16th in the world, after defeating her 72nd-ranked opponent.

“I've told everyone that when I came back, I didn't feel like I was in my body, and over the course of three years now, I'm feeling more and more like I'm me,” she added.

Osaka has never gone beyond the third round in Paris, having previously reached that stage in 2016, 2017 and 2019.

“(On) clay you obviously expect the point to be longer,” she said. “I like the movement on it (clay), especially on my forehand side. I feel like since my balls are a little bit heavier there, it kinds of pushes the opponent back and it doesn't necessarily happen on hard court.”

“Hopefully I'm not going to play someone that may or may not drop-shot me again because I'm realizing that's a trend on clay court,” Osaka joked.

In the opening round on Tuesday, Osaka defeated Germany’s Laura Siegemund 6-3, 7-6(3). She will next face American Iva Jovic, who is ranked 17th in the world, in the third round.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev