Naomi Osaka digs deep to secure gritty victory over Olga Danilovic in Bad Homburg opener

Naomi Osaka secured her first grass-court victory of the season, defeating Olga Danilovic 7-6(6), 7-6(4) in her opening match at the WTA 500 Bad Homburg Open. This win brings the four-time Grand Slam champion closer to re-entering the Top 50 of the WTA Rankings.

It wasn't an easy debut for the Japanese star. She faced a formidable opponent in Olga Danilovic, who has shown consistent progress this season, reaching the final of the WTA 250 Rouen Open two months ago and boasting an impressive record of 15 wins in her last 20 matches.

Osaka's game, built on a powerful serve and one of the most devastating forehands on tour, has historically struggled to fully adapt to grass courts. Nevertheless, the former World No. 1 possesses all the tools to be competitive on this surface, and she demonstrated that from the outset. Despite a modest 54% first-serve percentage in the first set, Osaka's 85% effectiveness on those serves allowed her to save the first break point against her at the match's start.

Minutes later, she visibly gained confidence with her serve, unsettling her opponent on returns, though she couldn't convert a break chance offered by Danilovic in the fourth game. Service held firm for both players, with minimal differences and Danilovic determined to protect her serve. With no breaks for either player, the set extended to a tie-break. There, the Serbian squandered a mini-break lead, and Osaka ultimately clinched the set 7-6 [8-6] after 70 minutes. The Japanese player impressed with 9 aces in the set against her opponent's two, committing no double faults, while Danilovic hit four.

The first set had been a close affair, decided by Osaka's strong serves and some hesitancy from Danilovic on the baseline. This time, the World No. 39 (Danilovic) appeared more confident when serving, though Osaka's level didn't drop. Up to 2-2, there were still no break points. However, Danilovic then faced a daunting 0-40, putting her on the ropes. Despite this, she delivered a couple of aces and, with well-placed first serves, managed to hold her game.

Just like in the first set, both players remained consistent on serve, and in the few break point opportunities that arose, neither managed to convert them. At 4-4, Danilovic was on the ropes, facing two break points, but Osaka couldn't convert them.

Once again, everything stretched to a tie-break, where Osaka was the first to gain an advantage with an early mini-break. Although Danilovic managed to recover it, she wasn't effective enough in the decisive moments, and Naomi Osaka ultimately secured the victory on her serve with a 7-6(6), 7-6(5) scoreline. The former World No. 1 advances to the second round, where she will face the 5th seed Emma Navarro, who comes from eliminating Marta Kostyuk in straight sets.