Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka defeats Israeli qualifier Lina Glushko at Auckland Open

Auckland: Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka began her season with a straight-sets victory over Israeli qualifier Lina Glushko at the Auckland Open, a WTA 250 event, on Monday. Seventh-seeded Osaka, a four-time Major winner, defeated World No. 220 Glushko 6-4, 6-4 in an hour and 25 minutes in only her second appearance in Auckland. She had previously reached the quarterfinals in 2017.

Osaka, playing her first match since sustaining a back injury at the China Open, broke Glushko’s serve once in the opening set. In the second set, she let a 3-1 lead slip away before coming back to wrap up the contest. She hit seven aces, won 77 per cent of her first-serve points and 64 per cent of her second-serve points in the match.

Osaka had to deal with a swirling wind on center court and with delays in play caused by the chants of a small group of protesters which were clearly audible within the stadium. There was a longer break as Osaka was poised to serve out the first set when Glushko had to leave the court for treatment to a hip injury.

Japan’s Osaka, chasing her first title since Australian Open 2021, faces Austria’s Julia Grabher next for a place in the quarterfinals. Agencies

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