Former world No. 1s Naomi Osaka and Victoria Azarenka both secured their spots in the second round of the Wimbledon warm-up tournament at Bad Homburg on Monday.
Osaka Ends Losing Streak in Hard-Fought Match
Japan’s Naomi Osaka battled through a tough match against Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic, winning 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4) in just over two hours. Osaka served up 16 aces in a contest marked by powerful serves from both players, with Danilovic hitting 10.
This victory is a significant one for Osaka, halting a three-match losing streak that included losses in Rome, the French Open, and Berlin. It marks a positive step in her comeback following maternity leave last year. The four-time Grand Slam winner saved four break points and came back from 4-2 down in the first-set tie-break. In the second-set tie-break, a crucial challenge on a called ace and a subsequent double fault from Danilovic helped Osaka take a commanding 3-1 lead, eventually closing out the match with a forehand winner.
Osaka will now face fifth seed Emma Navarro of the United States in the second round.
Azarenka Dominates, Sets Up Clash with Swiatek
Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, had to qualify for the main draw but showed her experience by comfortably defeating Germany’s wild card Laura Siegemund 6-2, 6-2.
Azarenka, 35, will have a much tougher test in the second round as she is set to meet world No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland.
Vekic Avenge Last Year’s Loss
In other matches, Croatia’s Donna Vekic successfully avenged her loss in last year’s Bad Homburg final. She secured a straightforward 6-3, 6-3 victory over sixth-seeded Diana Shnaider, saving all four break points she faced. Vekic will play Czech Linda Noskova next, who defeated Australian Ajla Tomljanovic 6-3, 6-2.
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