LOS ANGELES, United States — Four-time Grand Slam champion
Naomi Osaka made a
triumphant return from a two-month layoff by defeating Chinese teen Zheng
Qinwen on Tuesday at the WTA San Jose hardcourt tournament.
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The 24-year-old
Japanese star outlasted the gritty 19-year-old 6–4, 3–6, 6–1 in a first-round
match at the US Open tune-up tournament.
Osaka had not
played a competitive match since losing in the first round of the French Open
due to a left Achilles tendon injury.
“It’s really cool
to be back playing,” Osaka said after the victory. “I haven’t played since May.
I didn’t know that. Somebody told me that. It’s really good to be back.”
Former world
number one Osaka, whose ranking has slid to 41st, will play for a quarter-final
berth against 18-year-old American sixth seed Coco Gauff, this year’s French
Open runner-up.
Gauff routed
Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina 6–1, 6–0 in 54 minutes.
Osaka’s match
marked the return of her father, Leonard Francois, as her coach. Osaka had been
working with Wim Fissette for the past two years.
“It’s good for him
to be back because he always makes me smile,” Osaka said. “It’s just good to be
back so I’m really happy.”
In the first set
of her return match, Osaka broke Zheng for a 2–1 lead, saved a break point to
hold in the fourth game and held from there to capture the first set after 45
minutes with a service winner.
World number 51
Zheng broke for a 5–3 edge in the second set and held at love on a service
winner to force a third set.
Osaka broke twice
for a 4–0 lead in the final set, denied Zheng’s fightback bid with a
second-serve ace on a break point and held for a 5–0 lead.
After Zheng held,
Osaka did the same to capture the match on a service winner after two hours and
two minutes.
Reigning Wimbledon
champion Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan lost Monday in her first match since
capturing her first major title, falling to 12th-ranked Daria Kasatkina.
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