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Tennis: Naomi Osaka makes 1st Grand Slam 3rd rd. since return in ...

Tennis Naomi Osaka makes 1st Grand Slam 3rd rd since return in
Japan's Naomi Osaka reaches the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time since giving birth in July 2023 as the former world No. 1 comes from behind to defeat the Czech Republic's Karolina Muchov 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 at the Australian Open.

Japan's Naomi Osaka reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time since giving birth in July 2023 as the former world No. 1 came from behind to defeat the Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 Wednesday at the Australian Open.

A four-time Grand Slam winner with two of those titles coming here, the 51st-ranked Osaka was overpowered by her 20th-ranked opponent in the first set at Melbourne Park, where she dropped the opening five games.

Naomi Osaka of Japan plays against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in the second round of the women's singles at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on Jan. 15, 2025. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

"Honestly it took everything, I felt like I left everything I had on the court," Osaka, who made her Grand Slam return here last year, said after the 1-hour, 57-minute battle.

Naomi Osaka of Japan plays against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in the second round of the women's singles at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on Jan. 15, 2025. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

"Last year was really tough for me, I felt like I could have done better but just to be back on these courts and these arenas playing in front of you guys, it really makes my whole year."

While Muchova hit 11 winners in the first set to Osaka's four, Osaka had a 13-6 edge in the second set, turning around her service game. She won the last five games to take the match to the decisive third set, where Osaka amassed 16 more winners.

Muchova saved two match points in the final game before succumbing on the third, when her desperate lob went long, and Osaka tied their career head-to-head record at 2-2.

"She's an incredibly difficult opponent for me to play. She crushed me in the (2024) U.S. Open when I had my best outfit ever, I was so disappointed, I was so mad!" Osaka joked. "But this is my little revenge...it means a lot because she's one of the toughest opponents out there."

Japan's Naomi Osaka celebrates after winning her women's singles second-round match against the Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Jan. 15, 2025. (Kyodo)

Japan's former men's world No. 4 Kei Nishikori's serve fell apart in the second set of his 6-7(3), 6-0, 6-3, 6-1 loss to 12th seed Tommy Paul of the United States, and he never recovered.

After Nishikori won 61 percent of the points on his first serve in the opening set, Paul made mincemeat of the 35-year-old's first serves in the second, while dominating with his own first serves.

Kei Nishikori of Japan plays against Tommy Paul of the United States in the second round of the men's singles at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on Jan. 15, 2025. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Nishikori, who is coming back from a host of injuries, was trying to reach the third round at a Grand Slam since the 2021 U.S. Open.

Among other Japanese in the second round, Moyuka Uchijima, ranked 63rd, was beaten by 15th-ranked 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(8) in the women's singles draw, while 65th-ranked Yoshihito Nishioka fell to men's world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain 6-0, 6-1, 6-4.

Related coverage:

Tennis: Naomi Osaka into Aussie Open 2nd round, sends love to fire-hit L.A.

Tennis: Yoshihito Nishioka advances to Australian Open 2nd round

Tennis: Kei Nishikori wins in Australian Open return

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