After being cautious and gaining a new outlook, Naomi Osaka is making progress in her return to the intense world of professional tennis. She recently reached her first quarter-final in almost two years at the Qatar Open.
On Wednesday, Osaka was scheduled to play against Lesia Tsurenko in the third round of their match, but Tsurenko had to withdraw due to an elbow injury. This walkover came after two impressive wins for the former top-ranked player at the WTA 1000 event.
She delivered a stellar performance in her first match to redeem herself from her loss in the first round of the Australian Open to Caroline Garcia, the 15th seed in Doha. She won with a score of 7-5, 6-4.
Osaka followed that up with a solid 6-3, 7-6 (9) win against Petra Martic. The four-time grand slam champion and former world No 1 has not made the last eight since the Miami Open in March 2022.
Seven months ago, Osaka became a mother to her daughter, Shai, and took a 15-month break from her career. Upon returning in January, she has been met with challenging opponents who have consistently performed well against a top player, despite her not being at her peak form.
During her return to the tournament in Brisbane, Osaka was defeated in the second round by Karolina Pliskova after a competitive three-set match. In Melbourne, Garcia played exceptionally well. Although the 26-year-old’s serve and groundstrokes are still strong, she is still adjusting to her return of serve, decision-making on crucial points, and movement.
Osaka’s frustration was clear in Abu Dhabi as she struggled to find her rhythm and ultimately lost her first-round match against Danielle Collins. Despite losing three of her first four matches upon returning, Osaka has maintained a positive attitude off the court. Despite typically playing a limited schedule, she has shown her determination to overcome her early struggles by committing to three consecutive tournaments this month.
“I recently spoke with my team and the main focus is to give my best effort,” Osaka stated to the WTA earlier this week. “I am hoping for positive outcomes, but I understand there will be challenging matches and potentially difficult ones.”
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I need to relearn how to maintain a consistent pace and understand that there is no such thing as failure. The key is to keep getting back up.
Osaka’s resilience has been rewarded this week as she has played well, enjoyed a small slice of luck and she will now face Pliskova, a fellow former No 1, with a semi-final in a significant tournament on the line. Pliskova is also attempting to rediscover her top level after injuries and indifferent form led to her falling to No 78 in the rankings. She has enjoyed a wild few days since winning her first title in four years indoors at the WTA 250 event in Cluj, Romania.
Just a few hours after winning the title on Sunday night, Pliskova traveled to Doha and arrived 12 hours before her first-round match on Monday. Despite feeling tired and adjusting to a new continent and different conditions, Pliskova has continued to win. On Wednesday, she beat Linda Noskova 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 to move on to the quarter-finals, making it her seventh consecutive win in seven days.
Source: theguardian.com
