Naomi Osaka loses to Zhang Shuai at Cincinnati Open in first round for back-to-back defeats ahead of US Open
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Updated 16/08/2022 at 19:30 GMT
Naomi Osaka has lost her first-round match with Zhang Shuai 6-4 7-5 and has been dumped out of the Cincinnati Open at the round of 64 stage. It’s the first time Osaka has lost her opening match at back-to-back tournaments since Canada and Cincinnati in 2018. "She's maybe not really feeling good today, not her best day," Zhang said after the match.
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Naomi Osaka has been beaten 6-4 7-5 by Zhang Shuai on Centre Court at the Cincinnati Open.
The former world No.1 has been eliminated from back-to-back tournaments at the first-round stage for the first time since 2018, and when that happened she went on to win the US Open in the next event.
On this occasion, there were early signs of trouble for the four-time Grand Slam winner as she dropped the opening set.
Despite Osaka showing flashes of her best form as she levelled the second set at 5-5, Zhang held her nerve to serve out the match in straight sets and level the pair's head-to-head record, both winning three times.
Speaking after the match, Zhang admitted it wasn’t Osaka’s “best day”.
"It's always really tough to play a really good friend. She's maybe not really feeling good today.
“Hopefully, she is better and better. Not her best day."
Coco Gauff, Simona Halep, and Jeļena Ostapenko are all in first round action on Tuesday evening, whilst second seed Anett Kontaveit takes on Tereza Martincova in the round of 32.
Karolina Pliskova advanced with a straightforward 7-5, 6-1 win over Venus Williams, and Belinda Bencic and Caroline Garcia also reached the second round.
Zhang will take on 27th-ranked Ekaterina Alexandrova on Wednesday in the next round, as she looks to reach the third round in Cincinnati for the first time.
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