ROME: Naomi Osaka secured a victory over France’s Clara Burel in the first round of the Italian Open, marking her return to the tournament since 2021. The former world number one triumphed with a score of 7-6 (7-2) 6-1 against Burel, who holds the 45th rank globally. This win notably marked Osaka’s first triumph against a top-50 opponent on clay since her victory over Victoria Azarenka at the French Open in 2019.
Osaka, aged 26 and recently a mother to her first daughter, is set to challenge 19th seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in the second round on Thursday. On a separate note, Dan Evans from Britain anticipates his match against Italy’s Fabio Fognini in the men’s category, as his initial round on Wednesday was called off due to adverse weather conditions in Rome.
Despite her current world ranking of 173, Osaka showcased her prowess in the 84-minute match with 27 winners, including eight aces. Reflecting on her performance, Osaka expressed her intent to learn from her mistakes and implement improvements for her upcoming match.
