In a spectacular comeback, Naomi Osaka secured a second-round victory against Petra Martic at the WTA Tour, marking her first consecutive win in 23 months. The former World No.1, who last achieved such a feat at the 2022 Miami Open, where she finished as the runner-up, displayed her prowess by defeating No.15 seed Caroline Garcia in the opening round before triumphing over World No.67 Martic in a 6-3, 7-6(9) battle that lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Although Osaka dominated the match against Martic, whom she faced a decade ago, she faced a challenge when she failed to serve out victory at 6-3, 5-4. The Japanese star showcased her resilience, saving four set points in an intense second-set tiebreak, ultimately securing a straight-sets win on Tuesday, as reported by WTA.
Eyeing a quarterfinal spot, Osaka’s next opponent is World No.37 Lesia Tsurenko from Ukraine. Tsurenko, who claimed a 6-3, 6-2 victory against No.4 seed Ons Jabeur, demonstrated remarkable resilience by winning nine straight games from 3-1 down in the first set. This win marks Tsurenko’s first Top 10 victory in five years.
Jabeur, troubled by a lingering issue in her right knee, mentioned to reporters that it had affected her last week as well. Despite the setback, she expressed optimism about healing in the coming weeks.
–IANS
