Sports

Naomi Osaka Knocked Out in First Round of Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Jan 16 (News On Japan) - Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka made her return to Grand Slam tennis at the Australian Open following the birth of her first child last July, but exiting the stage in straight sets to French player Caroline Garcia, ranked 19th in the world.

This was Osaka's first Grand Slam appearance since the 2022 US Open, and she showed her signature strength with a strong serve from the beginning of the first set. However, she was broken in the fifth game due to unforced errors, losing the set 4-6.

In the second set, Osaka continued to build her game around her serve and scored with her forehand on crucial points, but Garcia matched her intensity, leading to a tiebreak. Osaka took the lead with a service ace, but she couldn't maintain the momentum and was eventually overpowered by Garcia, losing the tiebreak 6-7 and the set.

by Brian Dentry

Source: NHK

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