Naomi Osaka pretty honestly admitted that she “relaxed” after easily winning the first set against Lucia Bronzetti but was happy that she was able to avoid a shock loss and seal a very probable French Open second-round meeting against defending champion Iga Swiatek.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, got off to an outstanding start to her French Open return as she won the opener with a 6-1 scoreline. But when the second set started, Osaka wasn’t dominating anymore as Bronzetti managed to win the set 6-4 and force a third set.
After losing the second set, Osaka started showing her tennis from the first set as she opened a 4-0 third-set lead. But then, Osaka missed out on a break point for a 5-0 lead as Bronzetti went on to win the fifth game and the next four games to overturn the deficit and take a 5-4 lead.
Fortunately for Osaka, she was able to regroup – win the next three games – and ultimately seal a tight three-set win.
“I think I was paying too much attention to the score. Because when I saw it was 6-1, I felt a lot of relaxation, and then obviously I didn’t play well after that,” Osaka confessed after the match.
Naomi Osaka© Getty Images Sport – Clive Brunskill
Osaka would be ‘honored’ to meet Swiatek at the French Open.
If No. 1 seed Swiatek beats world No. 148 Leolia Jeanjean on Monday, there will be a second-round showdown between her and Osaka. For Osaka, that would be “an honor.”
“I’m honestly really excited,” Osaka said of the prospect of facing Swiatek.
“I watched her a lot when I was pregnant. And honestly, I think it’s an honor to play her in the French Open, because she’s won more than once here. It’s a very big honor and challenge for me.”
Osaka, who is not hiding that she really wants to again be a top player, says meeting Swiatek would be a perfect opportunity to test herself how much she can do against a very top player on the Grand Slam level.
“I definitely do feel like it’s a test to see where I’m at, but I wouldn’t say I have low expectations of myself,” Osaka said.
“I’m a person that kind of thinks that I can win every match that I play. That’s kind of gotten me this far.
“I would never play a match thinking lowly of myself.”
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