In the first round of the French Open, Naomi Osaka battled her way past the unseeded Italian Lucia Bronzetti 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 to secure her first victory at Roland Garros in three years.
Naomi Osaka Makes A Powerful Comeback
After taking a 15-month maternity leave this year, Osaka returned to the game and defeated Bronzetti in the opening round of the Australian Open in January. However, as the former world No. 1 dominated from the baseline, Osaka appeared certain to advance to the second round in Paris.
The four-time Grand Slam champion hadn’t triumphed at the French Open since 2021, when she eventually pulled out of the competition following a confrontation with organizers for neglecting her required media appearances.
“There were moments I played pretty well, but I was pretty nervous and got really tight,” Osaka said during an on-court interview.
Naomi Osaka Comments On Her Set
When Osaka regained her composure in the third set, she later admitted that she was thinking about the length of time that had passed between her Grand Slam titles.
“I was kind of, in my head, thinking I didn’t win a match in Australia, so I’d really love to win one here,” she said. “Obviously that wasn’t a good train of thought. … I kind of focused on it a bit too much instead of trying to play point by point, and I think towards the end I was able to erase that thought from my head.”
Breaking Down The Osaka Vs Bronzetti Set
On a windy Philippe Chatrier court, Osaka controlled the first set, winning it in 28 minutes. However, her unforced errors increased dramatically in the second set, which gave Bronzetti the opportunity to break in the vital game at 5-4 and force a deciding.
However, Osaka, 26, got back on track in the decisive set and had a chance to break for a 5-0 lead before seeming to collapse under pressure from world No. 67 Bronzetti, who fought her way back into the match. The 11th game saw Osaka pull through for a critical break before ultimately winning the back-and-forth match.
In three visits, the 48th-ranked Bronzetti has failed to win at Roland Garros. Her Grand Slam tournament record is 3–10 over her career. She trailed American Peyton Stearns 5-0 in the third set in her most recent match, which took place last week at the Morocco Open quarterfinals, but ultimately lost.
The top-seeded and ranked Iga Swiatek, the two-time defending French Open champion, is expected to face Osaka next. On Monday, Swiatek’s first-round matchup is against Leolia Jeanjean, a French qualifier.
Follow Us:
Youtube | Google News |
Igniteds is on YouTube; click here to subscribe for the latest videos and updates.
