Naomi Osaka extended her Grand Slam win streak to 16 matches on Monday at the US Open while Greek third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas battled past Andy Murray in five sets.
Osaka, looking for her third US Open crown in four years, crushed 87th-positioned Czech Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-1 at a pressed Arthur Ashe Stadium to book a second-round matchup with Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic.
Osaka beat Bouzkova in their just earlier gathering in the first round of the current year’s Australian Open en route to her fourth Grand Slam title.
Osaka, who terminated 21 winners yet serious 13 natural blunders in the principal set, broke Bouzkova’s serve at 5-4 to win the opener and never thought back, winning the initial five rounds of the second regardless of battling with her first serve.
“It feels sort of insane to play before everybody once more,” Osaka said. “I feel truly good here. I’m simply happy I won.”
The 23-year-old Japanese star could turn into the first consecutive US Open ladies’ boss since Serena Williams, out this year with a torn hamstring, won her third in succession in 2014.
Osaka, who lit the cauldron at the Tokyo Olympics, gave an Olympic pin to a young lady in a similar setting where she won last year’s title when fans were restricted because of Covid-19.
Her significant success streak incorporates her latest US and Australian Open successes and a first-round succeed at the current year’s French Open prior to pulling out over emotional wellness issues.
“It felt very desolate for me,” she said. “So I’m very happy to see small children in the crowd and adults as well. The energy here is unequaled.”
Osaka saved a break point in the 10th game on a help victor and caught the principal set by breaking Bouzkova in the tenth game when the Czech got a strike.
In the subsequent set, Osaka broke for a 2-0 lead, then, at that point saved three break focuses with champs and held in an eight-minute third game while heading to triumph quickly.
