Naomi Osaka’s bid to make an impact on the clay-court season suffered a setback in the second round of the Madrid Open as she was defeated by Liudmila Samsonova in an epic three-set battle that lasted nearly two and a half hours.
Osaka, who has won four Grand Slam titles, started the match slowly and quickly fell behind 4-0 in the first set, which she eventually lost 6-2. Samsonova also broke Osaka’s serve early in the second and third sets, but the Japanese star showed her resilience by rallying on both occasions.
In the second set, Osaka won four games in a row from 4-3 down to level the match at one set apiece, as Samsonova appeared to lose her composure. At 4-3 up in the third set, Samsonova’s nerves got the better of her as she committed three double faults to hand Osaka the advantage.
However, Samsonova regained her composure and finally earned the decisive break in the 11th game of the third set. She then held her nerve to serve out the match and secure a hard-fought 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 victory over Osaka.
Samsonova will face 18th-seeded American Madison Keys in the third round, while Osaka’s defeat raises questions about her form ahead of the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the year, which starts on May 26.
Sky Sports will provide live coverage of all the biggest tennis stars competing on clay courts in the lead-up to the French Open, including Naomi Osaka, Emma Raducanu, and the Korda family. Non-Sky subscribers can stream live matches contract-free with a NOW Sports Day or Month Membership.
