Naomi Osaka came back from one set down to beat Leylah Fernandez 4-6 7-5 6-3 in the opening round of the Wuhan Open.
Osaka made a double fault on the opening point, but she held serve after a seven-minute game, but Fernandez earned her first break in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. The Canadian player dropped just five games to close out the first set 6-4 in 42 minutes.
The second set featured five break points and 13 break points.
Osaka broke serve at love in the second game to open up a 3-0 lead. Fernandez pulled back on serve in the fifth game for 2-3. Osaka earned her second break in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead. Fernandez broke straight back in the seventh game for 3-4. The Canadian player saved three break points from 0-40 to hold serve at deuce in the eighth game for 4-4.
Osaka broke Fernandez in the 12th game to close out the second set 7-5.
Osaka went up a 3-0 lead including a break in the second game of the third set. The four-time Grand Slam champion held on his service games and did not face any break points to seal the win with a backhand winner on her second match point.
Osaka won nearly 70% of first serve points and 60% of her second serve points.
Osaka earned the first win of her career in Wuhan and advanced to the second round for the first time. The Asian player won for the second time in her career against Fernandez drawing level to 1-1 in their head-to-head matches. Osaka claimed her seventh come-back of the 2025 season.
AloJapan.com