Naomi Osaka Outlasts Coco Gauff in WTA Tour Return; To Face Teichmann in Round of 16 in Cincinnati

Naomi Osaka Outlasts Coco Gauff in WTA Tour Return; To Face Teichmann in Round of 16 in Cincinnati
(Photo : Dylan Buell/Getty Images) MASON, OHIO - Naomi Osaka of Japan plays a backhand during her match against Cori Gauff during Western & Southern Open - Day 4 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 18, 2021 in Mason, Ohio.

Naomi Osaka made a triumphant return to the WTA Tour, beating American Coco Gauff in three tough sets on Wednesday to advance to the round of 16 at the Western & Southern Open. Osaka had to dig deep in this encounter, needing one hour and 53 minutes to record the 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory.

It has been a tough journey for Osaka, who went on a three-month hiatus on Tour to tackle her mental health issues. In late May, the Japanese star sensationally withdrew from the French Open as she did not want to hold post-match news conferences, citing discomfort with that setting with reporters.

The four-time Grand Slam champion then pulled out of the Wimbledon Championships before returning to Japan for the Tokyo Olympics, where she suffered an early exit. It is the first time Osaka has been back in the United States since her lengthy break, and she put on quite a show in her battle with Gauff.

Osaka battles back from a set and a break down to beat Gauff

Osaka, who finished runner-up at this event last year when it was still held in the Big Apple, started poorly, dropping the first set, 4-6. It looked like Osaka was headed for a shock defeat when Gauff went up a break in the second set. Osaka fought back, however, erasing a 1-3 deficit by taking the next five games to force a decider.

Osaka sustained the momentum of that rally, immediately breaking Gauff's serve in the third set's opening game. Osaka never looked back after that, dropping just a single point on her serve for the remainder of the match to book a place in the next round.

Osaka recorded four more winners than Gauff in this match, but what doomed the 17-year-old phenom were her unforced errors. Gauff hit 14 more unforced errors than Osaka, with the American committing a whopping nine double faults. With the victory, Osaka improved to 2-1 in her career against Gauff.

Related ArticleNaomi Osaka Breaks Down In Tears After Tense Showdown With 'Bully' Reporter In News Conference

Osaka's victory comes after her emotional news conference

Before the start of the tournament in Cincinnati, Osaka again grabbed the headlines for several reasons. She pledged to donate her winnings at the Western & Southern Open to help relief efforts in Haiti which was struck by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake over the weekend.

After a testy exchange with a local reporter, Osaka broke down in tears in a pre-tournament news conference. Dealing with the media might not be Osaka's forte but winning tennis matches is.

Next up for Osaka in the round of 16 is a clash with Jil Teichmann of Switzerland. Teichmann sealed a dream matchup with Osaka after defeating fellow wildcard Bernarda Pera of the United States. Teichmann needed one hour and 15 minutes to record a 6-1, 6-4 win over Pera.

READ MORE ON SWN:

End of an Era for USA Women's Soccer as Legend Carli Lloyd Announces Retirement

Goodbye Der Bomber: Germany and Bayern Munich Legend Gerd Muller Dies at 75

© 2023 Sportsworldnews.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Real Time Analytics