After becoming a mother, Naomi Osaka competed in her first elite-level tournament, but was ultimately defeated by three-time champion Karolina Pliskova in the second round of the Brisbane International.
The four-time champion of major tournaments emerged victorious in her comeback match on Monday, defeating Tamara Korpatsch in two sets. The second round match, which featured two previous top-ranked players, was a faster-paced and more accurate reflection of Osaka’s current state as she prepares for the upcoming Australian Open in Melbourne. While Osaka initially took the lead by winning the first set, Pliskova made an impressive comeback, serving 16 aces and hitting 50 winners to secure a 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory.
Osaka was not as concerned about losing as she was about not being able to play more matches before the first major tournament of the year. She expressed disappointment that the week was shorter than she had hoped for, but feels confident in her current state. She also believes she played better today compared to her previous match against the same opponent. She acknowledges that the court favors the other player.
I will wait and see what occurs in Melbourne. Upon reviewing the statistics, I realize that I could have performed better on my break points. However, overall, both of us played exceptionally well.
31-year-old Pliskova, who was previously a top contender at Wimbledon and the US Open and is currently ranked 39th, made her first appearance since September due to a left wrist injury that affected her 2023 season. Despite some areas for improvement, Pliskova was satisfied with her performance in the opening match of the day at Pat Rafter Arena, where she had her left wrist and hand taped. Her next opponent will be third-seeded Jelena Ostapenko, who defeated Camila Giorgi 6-1, 6-4.
Aryna Sabalenka, the number one seed and current Australian Open title holder, defeated Lucia Bronzetti from Italy with a score of 6-3, 6-0.
In the men’s competition, James Duckworth, an Australian qualifier, defeated Yannick Hanfmann 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (2), while fourth-seeded Ugo Humbert won 6-4, 6-4 against Alex Michelsen.
Osaka’s next match will be an exhibition in Melbourne on Rod Laver Arena, the main court for the Australian Open, next week. She was happy with her serve against Pliskova, firing 14 aces and just two double-faults, and winning 83% of points when she got her first serve into play.
After giving birth, she expressed the importance of cherishing these moments as she has put in a lot of effort to get to this point. She also mentioned that her perspective on winning and losing has shifted since becoming a mother. She acknowledges feeling a sense of sadness, but it is more of a desire to have done better because she wants to make the time away from her child worth it.
Participating in Brisbane showed that her hard work paid off before the Australian Open, where she has claimed two of her major championship victories. “Just being on the court is a victory because a few weeks ago I wasn’t sure if I could compete with everyone,” she stated. “These two matches have shown me that I am doing well and the rest of the year will only improve for me.”
Emma Raducanu has secured a spot in the main draw of the Australian Open due to several players pulling out at the last minute. The current US Open title holder made a triumphant comeback at the ASB Classic in Auckland on Tuesday, following a period of recovery from surgeries on her wrists and one ankle that kept her out of play since April.
Raducanu initially seemed like she would have to compete in the qualifying rounds because her protected ranking, which is given to players who have been out of the game for a long time, was not high enough. However, on Wednesday, the Australian Open posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) that the 21-year-old will now enter the main draw in place of American player Lauren Davis, who had to withdraw due to a shoulder injury.
Davis has joined the list of withdrawals for the French Open, which includes finalist Karolina Muchova, Irina-Camelia Begu, and Caty McNally. Another withdrawal is two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who announced her pregnancy with her first child.
Source: theguardian.com
