Naomi Osaka‌ Advances to Third Round at‍ China Open ⁣Tennis Tournament

The China Open​ tennis tournament, held in Beijing, saw 2019 champion Naomi ⁤Osaka secure a spot ⁣in the third round after winning her second-round ​women’s‍ singles match.

Osaka, who⁢ faced 21st ​seed Yulia Putintseva from Kazakhstan, ​initially lost the first⁢ set 3-6 but ⁢made a​ comeback, winning the next set ‍6-4⁤ and the final set 6-2.

Osaka, a former world No. 1, was ​on the verge of ⁣losing 22 ⁤consecutive matches if she had dropped ⁤the first ‌set. Reflecting on her win, she stated, “I ⁣heard about it from⁣ my agent and really wanted to stop it. I⁣ wanted to show myself that ⁤even​ if I can’t play as perfectly as I ‌wanted,‍ I‌ can‍ still fight‍ and win.”

Other notable players‍ who advanced to the next ⁣round include‍ second seed Jessica Pegula and fourth seed Cori‌ Gauff, both from the United States. At just 20 years old, ⁣Gauff secured her 46th WTA 1000 hard⁤ court event win, tying the record ⁢held⁣ by Denmark’s⁢ Caroline⁢ Wozniacki for the most wins among women under the age​ of 21.

In the​ first round of‌ doubles, Miyu Kato and Nadia⁤ Kichenok from Ukraine won in straight​ sets and advanced to‍ the second round. However, Shuko⁣ Aoyama, Eri Hozumi, Makoto Ninomiya, ⁣and Ichiru ⁢Xu from ​China were ‍eliminated.