By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday August 12, 2024
United Airways misplaced Naomi Osaka’s baggage over the weekend, and the four-time main champion was nervous that she would miss out on enjoying in Cincinnati with out her tennis gear. She bought her gear hours later, however nonetheless missed out on the principle draw because the Ninety fifth-ranked Japanese star misplaced to American Ashlyn Krueger within the last spherical of qualifying on Monday at Lindner Tennis Middle in Mason, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.
It was Osaka’s first look in qualifying since 2018, and he or she did win her first match (over Anna Blinkova in straight units on Sunday) however the former World No.1 fell in a single hour and 38 minutes on Middle Courtroom on Monday, dropping the ultimate 5 video games to the 20-year-old World No.64 after holding a 3-1 lead within the deciding set.
It hasn’t been all dangerous for the previous Grand Slam juggernaut in her comeback from maternity go away this season.
Osaka has climbed within the rankings from exterior the highest 800 to No.95 in eight months’ time, successful 17 of 32 matches on tour this season. She is 0-3 vs the Prime 10 however 5-6 total towards the Prime-20.
Final week in Toronto, after dropping within the second spherical to Elise Mertens, Osaka spoke of her hopes of returning to the Prime-10.
“I feel going via this course of and having actually powerful losses that I’ve discovered rather a lot about myself and I discovered that I actually love this recreation and am prepared to do no matter it takes to get to the place I really feel like I need to be. I do know there’s going to be much more powerful losses, however hopefully, yeah, hopefully I will be again within the prime 10.”
26-year-old Osaka will hope to get into the US Open, the place she is a two-time champion, through wild card. She is at the moment an alternate on the principle draw entry record, which suggests she could should play qualifying if a wild card isn’t forthcoming. That mentioned, it doubtless will likely be, given how a lot Osaka has meant to the match, and to ladies’s tennis usually.
