Naomi Osaka rallied from a set and a break down to defeat qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the first round of the Miami Open on Tuesday, securing her first win since January’s Australian Open.
The former world No. 1, playing in just her fourth match of the year after returning from maternity leave, struggled early but used her athleticism and resolve to battle through. She credited her perseverance in part to her connection to Miami, where she has trained for much of her career.
“I knew that I wasn’t playing too well, but I thought, let me try to stay on the court as long as possible because I consider Miami my home,” Osaka said after the match, per reporting from Reuters.
Trailing 4-2 in the second set, Osaka tightened her groundstrokes and extended points, contrasting with her earlier performance in Indian Wells, where she said she had been “over-hitting a lot.” On Tuesday, she made a conscious decision to rely more on movement than power.
“I was going to run into every corner if I had to, and we were going to have to play for three hours if she was going to beat me,” she said.
The match turned during a crucial third-set service game. Up 3-1, Osaka faced two break points but responded with strong serving and baseline control, closing the game with an unreturnable serve. She would later clinch the match with another powerful serve after two hours and 28 minutes of play.
Her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, looked on as Osaka showed signs of her former form, despite missing most of the 2023 season. Earlier this year, she was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open with an abdominal injury and lost in straight sets at Indian Wells.
She will face 24th seed Liudmila Samsonova in the second round. The two have split their previous matchups.
Also advancing Tuesday were Americans Alycia Parks, Czech player Katerina Siniakova and Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in the WTA 1000 event.
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