(Photo credit score: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images)
No. 7 seed Naomi Osaka of Japan kicked off her 2025 season by beating Israeli qualifier Lina Glushko 6-4, 6-4 in an hour and 25 minutes within the first spherical of the ASB Classic on Monday in Auckland, New Zealand.
Osaka hit seven aces with 4 double faults and transformed 3 of seven break-point alternatives. Her subsequent opponent can be Austria’s Julia Grabher, who rallied to beat Spaniard Leyre Romero Gormaz 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7) with one match level saved within the third-set tiebreaker.
Rebecca Marino of Canada upended No. 4 seed and residential favourite Lulu Sun 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. No. 5 seed Clara Tauson of Denmark cruised previous Italy’s Lucrezia Stefanini 6-2, 6-3, and American eighth seed Katie Volynets outlasted Erika Andreeva of Russia 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-2.
Other first-round winners included Nao Hibino of Japan and Americans Ann Li and Bernarda Pera.
Brisbane International
Ons Jabeur of Tunisia battled via a first-set tiebreaker earlier than taking down China’s Saisai Zheng 7-6 (5), 6-4 in opening-round motion in Australia.
The former World No. 2 and three-time Grand Slam finalist opened her season by hitting six aces and going 3-for-5 in each saving break factors and breaking her opponent’s serve. Her subsequent opponent can be No. 14 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia, who had a first-round bye.
Anastasia Potapova of Russia had a 2-0 third-set lead when opponent Ana Bogdan of Romania retired. Similarly, Ukraine’s Anehlina Kalinina was up 6-4, 2-0 when Chinese opponent Yafan Wang retired. Other winners included China’s Yue Yuan, Romania’s Anca Todoni, Russia’s Polina Kudermetova, Australian Kimberly Birrell and American Peyton Stearns.
–Field Level Media