Naomi Osaka of Japan in motion throughout her quarter-final match in opposition to Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy on the Washington DC Open tennis match. Picture: AFP
TORONTO:
Naomi Osaka is hoping her success final 12 months in Montreal, the place she completed runner-up to Victoria Mboko, will translate because the WTA’s 1000 occasion in Canada shifts to Toronto.
The four-time Grand Slam champion from Japan is coming off a semi-final run on the onerous courts of Washington, the place she fell to eventual champion Alexandra Eala of the Philippines.
“I did higher than final 12 months in DC, so I am simply hoping to maintain the ball rolling,” Osaka stated.
“I have never traditionally performed tremendous, tremendous properly right here, so I am simply hoping to alter that this 12 months.
“I can attempt to recall Montreal, however I want to sort of deal with the cities individually,” added Osaka, whose finest run in Toronto — which alternates internet hosting duties with Montreal annually — was a quarter-final look again in 2019.
The previous world primary is seeded eleventh this 12 months and aiming to construct momentum because the August 31 begin of the US Open approaches.
Osaka earned the final of her 4 main titles on the 2021 Australian Open and has but to regain the heights she reached earlier than taking an prolonged maternity go away in 2023.
However she made it to the US Open semi-finals final 12 months and reached the final 16 on the French Open for the primary time this 12 months earlier than a career-best quarter-final at Wimbledon.
“I might simply hope to realize numerous confidence main into New York,” she stated.
“I misplaced my final match, but it surely’s helped me determine what I wish to do precisely, or how I wish to take my tennis.”
Osaka is in the identical quarter as second-seeded Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina and within the fourth spherical she might discover herself up in opposition to fifth-seeded French Open champion MirraAndreeva.
Andreeva, who suffered a shock second-round exit at Wimbledon, will face a tough opening match in opposition to former world primary Karolina Pliskova, who beat Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-4, 6-4 on Monday.
Osaka will open in opposition to Hungary’s Panna Uvardy, who was up 2-6, 7-6 (7/3), 2-0 in opposition to Eva Lys when the German retired due to harm in a match by which she led the second set 5-2.
It was a jam-packed schedule on the second day of first-round play.
Among the many winners, Poland’s Magdalena Frech defeated France’s Leolia Jeanjean 7-5, 6-3 to line up a gathering with third-seeded two-time champion Jessica Pegula.
Pegula beat Frech final week on the best way to the ultimate in Washington, the place the American fell to Eala within the rain-delayed title match on Monday.
In different early matches, American Kayla Day beat Diane Parry of France 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 to e-book a conflict with fourth-seeded Coco Gauff.
World primary Aryna Sabalenka is the highest seed within the match.
After disappointing runs on the French Open and Wimbledon the Belarusian is aiming to reassert her dominance on onerous courts, the place her lone defeat this 12 months was to Rybakina within the Australian Open remaining.