The beginning of the year 2022 had hinted at a possible improvement compared to a year 2021 which, for her, had been complicated to say the least. But it did not last. Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, who qualified for the semi-finals of the WTA tournament in Melbourne in early January, was eliminated in the third round of the Australian Open on Friday January 21.
Defending champion in Australia, ranked 14thand world rank, Naomi Osaka was beaten in three sets, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10/5), by the American Amanda Anisimova (60and world).
Two lost match points
“I knew I had to be very strong to have a chance. I had to raise my level of play and be aggressive. I’m so glad I did! » launched Amanda Anisimova. The latter, aged 20, had already created a first surprise by eliminating the Swiss Belinda Bencic (22and world) in the previous round. She had reached the round of 16 in Melbourne in 2019. The same year, she had reached the semi-finals at Roland-Garros.
Naomi Osaka had two match points at 5-4 on Anisimova’s serve, but she failed to conclude and the two players came to the super tie-break (in ten winning points instead of seven) .
The Japanese, ex-world number one, returned to competition in January at the WTA tournament in Melbourne, where she was unable to play her semi-final due to an abdominal injury.
She had previously experienced a psychologically difficult 2021, admitting to having suffered from depression. She had thus withdrawn before her second round at Roland-Garros and gave up Wimbledon. She then ended her season, after her elimination in the third round at the US Open in September.
