Naomi Osaka finds her form, cruises past Liudmila Samsonova into Round of 32
WTA
Naomi Osaka returned to winning form with a commanding victory over 21st seed Liudmila Samsonova at the Miami Open. The 4-time Grand Slam champion dominated the first set and held off the Russian’s resistance in the second to reach the Round of 32.
The Japanese star had a shaky start to the tournament, needing a remarkable comeback to defeat Yuliia Starodubtseva in her opener. Now back on track, Osaka awaits a clash with local wildcard Hailey Baptiste.
Osaka takes control with dominant opening set
From the outset, Osaka (No. 61) put pressure on Samsonova’s serve, earning a couple of break points in the second game. However, Samsonova (No. 21) held firm, fending off an early deficit. Though Osaka’s first serve percentage wasn’t outstanding (56%), she dropped just two points on serve throughout the set, winning 89% of her first-serve points.
Samsonova struggled to keep pace when Osaka was serving, barely getting balls back into play. The former World No. 1 also won 57% of return points, taking control after 3-2. A crucial break tilted the match in Osaka’s favour, as she won 12 of the last 14 points of the set — reeling off four straight games to close it 6-2.
Osaka holds off Samsonova’s fightback to seal straight-sets win
Osaka’s high level continued against an opponent who had reached the Indian Wells quarterfinals just a week prior, scoring wins over two top-12 players along the way. Yet Samsonova found herself consistently outplayed by the Japanese star, who showed flashes of the form that once made her the best in the world.
Osaka’s serve was as lethal as ever, but it was her forehand that truly shone. Samsonova held serve until 3-2, where Osaka earned her first break point and took a 4-2 lead. The Japanese star even had a match point on Samsonova’s serve at 5-3 but couldn’t convert.
The Russian hinted at a comeback, breaking Osaka and closing the gap to 5-4. Serving to level the set, Samsonova couldn’t withstand Osaka’s relentless pressure. The Japanese needed just one more break point to close out the set 6-4, sealing her spot in the next round.
In the second round, Osaka will face the surprise package Hailey Baptiste, who has been thriving in front of her home crowd after coming through the qualifiers and upsetting 12th seed Daria Kasatkina.
Match Statistics Osaka vs. Samsonova
| Osaka | VS | Samsonova |
|---|---|---|
| Service | ||
| 6 | Aces | 3 |
| 1 | Double Faults | 4 |
| 64% (29/45) | 1st Service Percentage | 59% (35/59) |
| 79% (23/29) | 1st Service Points Won | 60% (21/35) |
| 75% (12/16) | 2nd Service Points Won | 38% (9/24) |
| 67% (2/3) | Break Points Saved | 50% (4/8) |
| 89% (8/9) | Service Games | 56% (5/9) |
| Return | ||
| 40% (14/35) | 1st Return Points Won | 21% (6/29) |
| 63% (15/24) | 2nd Return Points Won | 25% (4/16) |
| - | Break Points Saved | - |
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