MIAMI, March 19 — Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka overcame a slow start to defeat Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, advancing to the second round of the Miami Open.
MIAMI, March 19 — Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka overcame a slow start to defeat Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, advancing to the second round of the Miami Open.
This victory marks Osaka’s first match win since reaching the Australian Open third round, where she retired due to an abdominal injury. After a disappointing first-round loss at Indian Wells, which she called the “worst match” of her career, Osaka focused on movement and resilience to turn things around.
“I was going to run into every corner if I had to,” she said after the match.
Despite trailing 0-5 in the first set and 2-4 in the second, Osaka fought back, firing 10 aces and taking control in the decider. She now faces 24th seed Liudmila Samsonova as she pursues her first title in Miami, a city she considers her “US home.”
Elsewhere, Sofia Kenin defeated defending champion Petra Kvitova 6-4, 7-5 and will meet world number three Coco Gauff in the second round. Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon winner, is still searching for her first victory since returning to the tour after giving birth last July. — AFP
MANCHESTER, April 28 — Manchester United moved closer to securing Champions League qualification with a 2-1 victory over Brentford on Monday, but interim manager Michael Carrick said the team must continue pushing to finish as high as possible in the Premier League.
TEHRAN, April 28 — Iran on Tuesday said the United States is no longer in a position to dictate terms to other nations, as Washington reviews a new Iranian proposal concerning the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
MECCA, April 28 — Haj pilgrims have been reminded not to let social media distract them from the true purpose of their journey in the Holy Land.