Staff writer,
with AFP, PERTH, Australia
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka yesterday got her season off to a winning start for Japan in the United Cup, after the UK’s Emma Raducanu pulled out of their singles clash with a fitness issue, while in Brisbane, Taiwan’s Latisha Chan and Wu Fang-hsien crashed out of the women’s doubles.
In Perth, despite Osaka’s win, the UK took the match 2-1 with a deciding mixed doubles victory.
Osaka was too strong for reserve and 276th-ranked Katie Swan, winning 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 as Raducanu watched from the sidelines.
Photo: EPA
“I’m proud of how I fought,” Osaka said. “I’d never played here, it was tough.”
Britain captain Tim Henman said Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, could appear later in the event.
“I don’t think she’s necessarily out of this tournament just yet. So we’re keeping our fingers crossed,” Henman said.
In Sydney, Alexander Zverev clinched victory for Germany against The Netherlands as the world No. 3 demolished Tallon Griekspoor 7-5, 6-0.
Canada defeated China 2-0.
On Saturday, Coco Gauff rode to the rescue with a 6-1, 6-1 hammering of Solana Sierra to nudge the US toward a 2-1 defeat of Argentina, while Stan Wawrinka launched the final season of his career with a marathon 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5) win over Arthur Rinderknech to give Switzerland an unassailable 3-0 lead over France.
Also on Saturday, in Sydney, Zhang Zhizhen led China to a 2-1 win over Belgium to begin their tournament, and despite Norway’s Casper Ruud stunning Australian No. 1 Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-3, the hosts prevailed 2-1.
Meanwhile, at the Brisbane International, Wu and Japanese partner Eri Hozumi lost 6-4, 6-0 to Priscilla Hon of Australia and the Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova.
Chan and China’s Jiang Xinyu fell 6-2, 6-3 to Russians Mirra Andreeva and Ekaterina Alexandrova.
AloJapan.com