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
LONDON, April 21 — Nottingham Forest revived their Champions League hopes with a 2-1 win over struggling Tottenham Hotspur yesterday, halting a two-game losing streak and piling more pressure on Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou.
NEW DELHI, April 22 — US Vice President JD Vance met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi yesterday following a red carpet welcome, as India seeks to secure a quick trade deal to avoid heavy tariffs.
ALOR SETAR, April 22 — Police have confirmed the arrest of a male teacher from a private school near here, suspected of sexually harassing several students.