Naomi Osaka made a strong start at the Italian Open by defeating 45th-ranked Clara Burel in a convincing manner with a score of 7-6 (2), 6-1 on Wednesday. This victory marked Osaka’s first win over a top-50 player on clay since the 2019 French Open, where she defeated Victoria Azarenka. Osaka showcased her mental resilience by maintaining her focus even after dropping her serve while serving for the first set at 5-3. She expressed her pride in being able to hang in there and close out the match on her terms.
Return to Rome
This tournament also marks Osaka’s return to Rome since 2019 when she reached the quarterfinals. Despite her former No. 1 ranking, Osaka is currently positioned at No. 173 after taking a maternity break. In her match against Clara Burel, Osaka served eight aces and hit 27 winners compared to her opponent’s 10. Her next challenge will be against 19th-seeded Marta Kostyuk, who recently made it to the final of a clay event in Stuttgart, Germany.
In addition to Osaka’s victory, other matches at the Italian Open saw qualifier Bernarda Pera triumph over fellow American Caroline Dolehide with a score of 7-6 (6), 6-3. Pera is now set to face top-ranked Iga Swiatek in the next round. Magda Linette defeated Zhu Lin 6-3, 6-2, while Brenda Fruhvirtova staged a comeback to beat Taylor Townsend 3-6, 6-2, 6-0. Lesia Tsurenko also advanced by defeating Donna Vekic 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (5).
On the men’s side, Argentine-born Italian Luciano Darderi received strong support from the crowd during his victory over Denis Shapovalov with a score of 6-7 (4), 6-3, 7-6 (4) on Campo Centrale. Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro caused an upset by eliminating Gael Monfils 6-2, 7-5, while Yoshihito Nishioka defeated Sebastian Ofner 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (4). Several matches were postponed due to rain, with top players like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic set to begin their campaigns in the following days.
Withdrawals and retirements
Unfortunately, second-ranked Jannik Sinner, third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, and former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini had to withdraw from the tournament due to injuries. Additionally, Camila Giorgi, an Italian player who achieved a career-high ranking of No. 26 and won a WTA 1000 event in Montreal 2021, announced her retirement. The Italian Open serves as the final major warmup event before the French Open, which is scheduled to begin on May 26.
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