Naomi Osaka, four-time major winner, fought her way back into the match from a slow start to beat unseeded Austrian Julia Grabher 7-5, 6-3 in the second round of the Auckland Classic. Osaka’s victory earned her a quarter-final place on Friday at the Australian Open warm-up event.
Rain Break Tactic
The first set was a tight affair, with both players holding serve until 5-5. At that point, rain stopped the match for over an hour, giving Osaka a chance to regroup. “I got some great advice from a great coach,” Osaka said, referring to her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, former mentor to Serena Williams. The break helped Osaka calm her nerves and refocus, leading to a late break in the first set and an early break in the second set to control the match.
Osaka’s Serve and Performance
Osaka, serving was a one of her strong suits of the match. She produced five aces and was successful on more than 80 percent of her second-serve points. Her return was indeed not so great, especially in the first set. But she was able to hold her nerves in control throughout.
“She was a really tough opponent to play against,” Osaka admitted about Grabher, complimenting her for sticking around.Osaka has struggled to find consistency since returning to the court in 2024 after the birth of her daughter, Shai, in July 2023. Entering the Auckland tournament, Osaka said she feels like she’s getting back to her previous form, where she became world number one early in 2019 after winning her first Australian Open.
With the Australian Open scheduled to kick off on January 12, Osaka is well-prepared to make her comeback strong and return to the top of the tennis world.
