Naomi Osaka in motion throughout first-round match vs Shuai Zhang in Cincinnati Masters 2022.© AFP
Naomi Osaka’s summer season kind stoop deepened on Tuesday because the four-time Grand Slam winner misplaced 6-4, 7-5 to Zhang Shuai on the ATP/WTA Cincinnati Masters. The primary-round defeat on pre-US Open hardcourt was the second in as many weeks for Japan’s former world primary, now ranked thirty ninth. The 24-year-old was eradicated within the Toronto first spherical and has received only a single match out of 4 on cement — on the WTA Silicon Valley in July. World quantity 44 Zhang moved into the second spherical in 75 minutes as she received her first foremost draw match right here since 2014.
The Chinese language participant was on the successful Cincinnati doubles crew in 2021 and claimed US Open doubles honours in 2021 with Australian Sam Stosur.
Osaka’s Cincinnati finest was the 2020 event last.
The 33-year-old Zhang was damaged whereas serving for the match as Osaka pulled to five-all; a subsequent break of the gang favorite and a maintain to like by Zhang concluded the victory.
“It’s always tough to pay a really good friend,” Zhang stated. “Naomi is amazing but she didn’t have the best day today.”
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The win brings Zhang degree at 3-3 in her sequence with Osaka.
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