Osaka powers into French Open second round, potential match against Swiatek looms with Yastremska, Vekic and Bouzkova also through
WTA
The first day of action at the 2024 French Open has started with Naomi Osaka through to a blockbuster second round potentially against Iga Swiatek after downing Lucia Bronzetti to begin the day on Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros.
Osaka who opened Chatrier on her comeback to Roland Garros as a mom beat Bronzetti 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in a tie that in reality could've been a lot easier for the four-time Grand Slam champion and former World No.1. But of course, it is on a surface where Osaka in the past has not thrived.
Given the moniker of 'Clayomi' this season which she admits she hates, she racked up the wins in Rome and looked to be settling into clay court life after watching the likes of Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz back on tape.
But it could be the World No.1 and the Queen of Clay next. It got very tight for Osaka who went on the verge of 5-0 up and watched as Bronzetti led 5-4. But she broke back to make it 6-5 and sealed the win from there to save her skin. Not the finished article certainly but in a tough opener on paper, it is very much the early tonic that Osaka may need.
Swiatek will face French qualifier, Leolia Jeanjean as she looks to do her part of the bargain and despite the Frenchwoman being previously a factor in a good Roland Garros run, it wasn't in facing the World No.1 and master of this surface. So albeit she has had a few games already, it is very much an uphill battle.
From a top 20 player to a losing streak, Veronika Kudermetova defeated again in Paris.
Albeit on a day with very minimal WTA contenders playing, there have been some other noteworthy early results. Veronika Kudermetova's barren run of form continues. The Russian was easily beaten by a tough opening opponent in Marie Bouzkova 6-2, 6-4. Kudermetova who was in the higher echelons of the WTA rankings last year has no form whatsoever and currently will likely fall out of the top 30.
Yastremska and Vekic also through with Ostapenko, Garcia among others to play
Ajla Tomljanovic had an encouraging but fruitless display as the Australian who has played very minimally since returning to the tour at the turn of the year was handed a reciprocal wildcard for this tournament. Playing a lot of grass court tournaments in the coming weeks, she will head straight onto that surface. She was beaten in three sets by Dayana Yastremska.
The Ukrainian who stunned at the Australian Open has a fairly good section in store and saw off Tomljanovic who has barely got through a game at lower level in recent weeks with retirements aplenty. It was 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the end in just over two hours. Yafan Wang eased past Maria Timofeeva in straight sets also.
While in an anticipated clash today, Donna Vekic won through due to walkover with Lesia Tsurenko deciding to retire at 6-5 down in the first. Marta Kostyuk is currently a set up against Laura Pigossi with Jelena Ostapenko, Sofia Kenin, Amanda Anisimova, Diana Shnaider, Caroline Garcia and Barbora Krejcikova all playing this afternoon. A full slate of action and some top ties to come. But Naomi Osaka at least is already through amongst a number of other names.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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