By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday August 12, 2024
United Airways misplaced Naomi Osaka’s luggage over the weekend, and the four-time main champion was fearful that she would miss out on taking part in in Cincinnati with out her tennis gear. She acquired her gear hours later, however nonetheless missed out on the primary draw because the Ninety fifth-ranked Japanese star misplaced to American Ashlyn Krueger within the last spherical of qualifying on Monday at Lindner Tennis Heart 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 Heart 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 unhealthy for the previous Grand Slam juggernaut in her comeback from maternity depart this season.
Osaka has climbed within the rankings from outdoors the highest 800 to No.95 in eight months’ time, profitable 17 of 32 matches on tour this season. She is 0-3 vs the High 10 however 5-6 general in opposition to the High-20.
Final week in Toronto, after shedding within the second spherical to Elise Mertens, Osaka spoke of her hopes of returning to the High-10.
“I believe going by this course of and having actually robust losses that I’ve discovered so much about myself and I discovered that I actually love this sport and am prepared to do no matter it takes to get to the place I really feel like I should be. I do know there’s going to be much more robust losses, however hopefully, yeah, hopefully I will be again within the high 10.”
26-year-old Osaka will hope to get into the US Open, the place she is a two-time champion, by way of wild card. She is at present an alternate on the primary draw entry record, which suggests she could need to play qualifying if a wild card isn’t forthcoming. That mentioned, it doubtless will probably be, given how a lot Osaka has meant to the event, and to ladies’s tennis on the whole.
#Osaka #Falls #Cincinnati #Qualifying