Naomi Osaka beat Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the opening round of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, advancing to the second round. The seventh seed saved three consecutive set points in the second set before winning the tiebreak in a match that lasted one hour and 37 minutes.
Osaka, the home favourite, wore a blue-and-white, crane-embroidered outfit inspired by a kimono, designed by Hana Yagi, who also created her Wimbledon outfit. She said she wanted to bring “a bit of a show” to the tournament, her first appearance in Tokyo in four years.
“I was just really glad that she [Yagi] wanted to work with me again,” Osaka said. “I feel like for me I haven’t been here in a little bit of a while, so it’s just nice to bring a bit of a show here too.”
The win avenged her loss to Paolini at the Miami Open last year, their only previous meeting. The 29-year-old hit seven aces to her opponent’s one.
“The match was really difficult,” Osaka added. “I played her once before and I lost, so I’m really glad to be on a home court and win. I talked to her and she hurt herself, so I just wish that you know she [Paolini] gets healthy soon.”
The four-time Grand Slam champion is playing some of her best tennis since returning from giving birth three years ago to her daughter, Shai. Earlier this week, Osaka said she would step away from the game if her child asked her to.
World No 1 Elena Rybakina had a first-round bye. No 2 seed Maja Chwalinska and fourth seed Belinda Bencic both withdrew through injury.
Venus Williams Falls to Teenager in Guangzhou
Tennis great Venus Williams lost 6-2, 6-2 to teenager Lilli Tagger in the first round of the Guangzhou Open, dropping to 0-13 in singles matches this year.
The 28-year age gap between the two players is understood to be a record difference between opponents in a WTA Tour match. Tagger was born in 2008, the year Williams won the last of her seven Grand Slam singles titles, at Wimbledon.
Williams, now ranked No 599 and aged 46, was playing her first singles match in two months, since losing in the first round of the US Open to Sofia Kenin. She created no break-point chances, while Tagger converted four of the 16 she had.
“When I saw the draw I was super excited and a bit nervous – I respect her a lot,” Tagger said. “It is funny she used to play with my coach [Francesca Schiavone]. I would love to play at this age – I want to congratulate her.”