PARIS : Naomi Osaka combined fashion flair with resilience on Thursday as the former world number one battled past Croatia’s Donna Vekic 7-6(1) 6-4 to reach the French Open third round for the first time since 2019.
Osaka, who had already drawn attention with her striking outfit in the opening round, once again made a dramatic entrance on Court Simonne Mathieu wearing a white floor-length flared train over her match attire.
But the Japanese player needed more than style to overcome Olympic silver medallist Vekic on another scorching day in Paris.
The pair exchanged breaks repeatedly in a closely contested opening set before Osaka elevated her level in the tiebreak, dominating it while dropping only one point.
Vekic responded by mixing in drop shots early in the second set in an attempt to disrupt Osaka’s rhythm, but the Croatian’s resistance faded as she was broken in the ninth game.
Osaka then saved a break point while serving for the match before sealing victory in one hour and 50 minutes.
The four-time Grand Slam champion has struggled for consistency at Roland Garros in recent years, but Thursday’s win marks her best run in Paris since reaching the third round six years ago.
Osaka will next face 16th seed Iva Jovic after the American eased past compatriot Emma Navarro 6-0 6-3 earlier on Thursday.
