Naomi Osaka, ranked just No. 51 in the world after a disappointing 2024 season, shook off a slow start en route to a second-round upset win in the Australian Open on Wednesday.
Osaka rallied past 20th-seeded Karolina Muchova 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 in Melbourne, Australia.
A four-time Grand Slam champion, Osaka returned from maternity leave last year and lost in the first or second round of all four major tournaments. The 27-year-old Japan native has not won any event on the WTA Tour since capturing her second Australian Open title to start 2021.
Osaka said getting past Muchova, a 28-year-old Czech player, “means a lot. She’s an incredibly difficult opponent for me to play. She crushed me at the U.S. Open when I had my best outfit ever. I was so disappointed. I was so mad.
“I’m glad I got my revenge. It’s not a bad thing; revenge is competitive. She’s one of the toughest opponents out there.”
Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus powered into the third round, beating Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-3, 7-5. Sabalenka came through at the key moments, converting five of her six break-point opportunities and saving 8 of Bouzas Maneiro’s 11 break points.
The top-seeded Sabalenka erased a 4-1 deficit in the second set.
“She played incredible tennis, especially in the second set,” Sabalenka said of Bouzas Maneiro. “I’m really happy I was able to turn around that set.
“There’s so many players who are playing really well in these conditions. … Today’s match proved that. Girls can go there and just play without any fear, without anything to lose. They can put you in really uncomfortable position. You have to go out there and fight and compete and show your best.”
No. 3 seed Coco Gauff moved into the third round with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Great Britain’s Jodie Burrage. Gauff overcame seven double faults by committing only 18 unforced errors, compared to 45 for Burrage.
Gauff rallied from 5-3 down in the second set to set up a meeting with 30th-seeded Canadian Leylah Fernandez, a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 winner against Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.
Germany’s Laura Siegemund pulled off a major upset on Wednesday, eliminating fifth-seeded Qinwen Zheng of China 7-6 (3), 6-3.
“Obviously I’m very happy and very proud of my performance,” Siegemund said. “I expected a very, very tough game against this kind of top player. I think she’s one of the best in the world.”
In other early matches on Wednesday, seventh-seeded Jessica Pegula of the United States got past Belgium’s Elise Mertens 6-4, 6-2; Serbia’s Olga Danilovic thrashed 25th-seeded Russian Liudmila Samsonova 6-1, 6-2; 14th-seeded Russian Mirra Andreeva edged Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8); and 23rd-seeded Magdalena Frech of Poland recovered to beat Russia’s Anna Blinkova 0-6, 6-0, 6-2.
Later action saw No. 11 Paula Badosa of Spain, No. 12 Diana Shnaider of Russia, No. 17 Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine and No. 18 Donna Vekic of Croatia each collect second-round wins.
Badosa whipped Australia’s Talia Gibson 6-1, 6-0. Shnaider took down another Aussie, Ajla Tomljanovic, 6-4, 7-5. Kostyuk breezed to a 6-3, 6-0 defeat of Germany’s Jule Niemeier and Vekic rallied for a 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 win against Great Britain’s Harriet Dart.
Also advancing to the third round were Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic and Denmark’s Clara Tauson.
–Field Level Media
