Osaka’s clay-court season starts with a loss in 1st round of Madrid Open
[April 23, 2025]
MADRID (AP) — Naomi
Osaka's clay-court season started with a loss in the first round of the
Madrid Open against Lucia Bronzetti on Tuesday.
Japan's four-time Grand Slam champion stumbled on match point as
Bronzetti completed a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 win before checking Osaka was OK as
they approached the net for a post-match handshake. |
Naomi Osaka, of Japan, leaves the court after losing to Lucia Bronzetti,
of Italy, at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain,
Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) |
|
The 55th-ranked Osaka was unseeded in Madrid
for her first match in almost a month since reaching the fourth
round of the Miami Open. Italy's Bronzetti will play
fifth-seeded American Madison Keys in the second round. She will
be seeking her third third-round appearance at a WTA 1000 event.
Alexandra Eala will get a rematch with Iga Swiatek in the second
round in Madrid after stunning the Polish player as a wild card
in Miami last month. The 19-year-old Eala won her first-round
match 6-3, 6-2 against Viktoriya Tomova.
“Each match is a different story,” Eala said. “Even if it’s
against the same player every time — doesn’t matter if I play
her at the same time next year in Miami or in Madrid next year,
it’s going to be a different story than the last one.”
Caroline Dolehide of the U.S. won 6-4, 6-4 against Elina
Avanesyan to set up a second-round meeting with Liudmila
Samsonova.
Another American to win was Peyton Stearns, who rallied to get
past Kimberly Birrell 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. Hailey Baptiste defeated
Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (4).
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