By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday August 12, 2024
United Airways misplaced Naomi Osaka’s baggage over the weekend, and the four-time main champion was frightened that she would miss out on enjoying in Cincinnati with out her tennis gear. She received her gear hours later, however nonetheless missed out on the primary draw because the Ninety fifth-ranked Japanese star misplaced to American Ashlyn Krueger within the last spherical of qualifying on Monday at Lindner Tennis Middle in Mason, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.
It was Osaka’s first look in qualifying since 2018, and he or she did win her first match (over Anna Blinkova in straight units on Sunday) however the former World No.1 fell in a single hour and 38 minutes on Middle Court docket on Monday, dropping the ultimate 5 video games to the 20-year-old World No.64 after holding a 3-1 lead within the deciding set.
It hasn’t been all unhealthy for the previous Grand Slam juggernaut in her comeback from maternity go away this season.
Osaka has climbed within the rankings from outdoors the highest 800 to No.95 in eight months’ time, successful 17 of 32 matches on tour this season. She is 0-3 vs the Prime 10 however 5-6 total in opposition to the Prime-20.
Final week in Toronto, after dropping within the second spherical to Elise Mertens, Osaka spoke of her hopes of returning to the Prime-10.
“I believe going by means of this course of and having actually powerful losses that I’ve realized loads about myself and I realized that I actually love this recreation and am keen to do no matter it takes to get to the place I really feel like I should be. I do know there’s going to be much more powerful losses, however hopefully, yeah, hopefully I will be again within the high 10.”
26-year-old Osaka will hope to get into the US Open, the place she is a two-time champion, by way of wild card. She is presently an alternate on the primary draw entry record, which implies she might should play qualifying if a wild card isn’t forthcoming. That mentioned, it possible might be, given how a lot Osaka has meant to the match, and to girls’s tennis on the whole.