{"id":80244,"date":"2022-08-03T13:22:46","date_gmt":"2022-08-03T13:22:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=80244"},"modified":"2022-08-03T13:22:46","modified_gmt":"2022-08-03T13:22:46","slug":"osaka-makes-triumphant-return-will-face-gauff-in-san-jose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=80244","title":{"rendered":"Osaka makes triumphant return, will face Gauff in San Jose"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Sports Desk:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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Osaka had not played a competitive match since losing in the first round of the French Open due to a left Achilles tendon injury.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Gauff routed Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina 6-1, 6-0 in 54 minutes.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

After Zheng held, Osaka did the same to capture the match on a service winner after two hours and two minutes.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sports Desk: 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. 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":80245,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n