Naomi Osaka Rallies Past Katerina Siniakova to Reach US Open Third Round
The 13th seed survived a wobbly second set and 20 unforced errors before closing out the Czech player in three sets.
Naomi Osaka shook off a rough patch in the second set to beat Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 on Thursday, moving into the third round of the US Open, according to ESPN.
The two-time US Open champion and 13th seed looked in control early, breaking Siniakova's serve twice to take the first set in 30 minutes, ESPN reported. She built a 4-2 lead in the second set before her level dropped sharply. Sky Sports reported Osaka was broken three times in a row after leading 5-3, and ESPN counted 20 unforced errors in that set alone after just four in the first.
Osaka regrouped in the third, breaking early for a 2-0 lead and finishing one point with a 19-shot rally that ended on a volley winner, ESPN reported. She dropped only one more game the rest of the way.
"The match was definitely really tough and I don't know, I just felt like I had to fight," Osaka said, according to ESPN. "I definitely had a couple opportunities in the second set and I think I was a little bit too hard on myself. So I took the bathroom break, regrouped a little, came back and just tried to have no regrets."
Speaking to the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium afterward, Osaka said, "I just told myself that it's an honor to play on this court. I just want to keep playing in front of you guys if possible," Channel NewsAsia reported.
A Wild Day at Flushing Meadows
Osaka's match was one of several dramatic finishes on a sunny day after rain had disrupted earlier rounds, Channel NewsAsia reported. American Madison Keys saved five match points before beating Hungary's Anna Bondar 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (5), hitting 34 forehand winners along the way, according to Channel NewsAsia. "That was something, huh?" Keys told the crowd afterward. "No stress though, we all knew I had it, right?"
Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime, the third seed and last year's semifinalist, was eliminated by Russia's Karen Khachanov 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, becoming the highest-seeded man knocked out of the tournament so far, Channel NewsAsia reported.
More Winners, More to Come
Iga Swiatek, the 2022 champion, needed just 71 minutes to beat Argentina's Nadia Podoroska 6-3, 6-2, according to Sky Sports. Thursday's night session on Ashe was set to feature 2023 champion Coco Gauff against Paula Badosa, followed by top-seeded Alexander Zverev against France's Quentin Halys, ESPN reported.
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