Naomi Osaka battles back to defeat Siniakova and reach US Open third round

the Haitian-Japanese tennis star, Naomi Osaka battled through a mid-match dip to defeat Katerina Siniakova (6-2, 5-7, 6-1) on Thursday at Arthur Ashe Stadium, advancing to the third round of the US Open for the second straight match in which she had to fight from adversity. The No. 13 seed and two-time US Open champion needed 2 hours and 2 minutes to close out the win over Siniakova.

The match appeared headed for a routine afternoon for Osaka, who breezed through the opening set in 30 minutes and built a 4-2 lead in the second. But her level dropped sharply after her serve was broken in a lengthy game, and she finished the set with 20 unforced errors after committing only four in the first. Siniakova capitalized on the shift in momentum to force a decider, taking the second set 7-5.

However, Osaka regrouped quickly in the third, breaking for a 2-0 lead before sealing the next game with a winning volley at the end of a 19-shot rally, a point that drew more relief than celebration from the four-time Grand Slam champion. From there, she closed out the match comfortably, dropping just one more game.

“The match was definitely really tough and I don’t know, I just felt like I had to fight,” Osaka said afterward. “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.”

The win continues a pattern for Osaka at this year’s tournament. She had needed two tiebreaks to get past No. 101 ranked Anastasia Zakharova in the first round, a match in which Zakharova broke Osaka’s serve four times before admitting to nerves. Osaka has shown she can find another gear when matches get tight, even as her level fluctuates within individual sets.

Osaka will next face Elise Mertens for a spot in thefourth round.