The Fort Worth Press - Sun shines for Osaka in Madrid

USD -
AED 3.673042
AFN 67.000368
ALL 93.103989
AMD 388.250403
ANG 1.803449
AOA 912.000367
ARS 998.49057
AUD 1.549139
AWG 1.795
AZN 1.70397
BAM 1.850279
BBD 2.020472
BDT 119.580334
BGN 1.856065
BHD 0.376867
BIF 2898.5
BMD 1
BND 1.341507
BOB 6.914723
BRL 5.796604
BSD 1.000634
BTN 84.073433
BWP 13.679968
BYN 3.274772
BYR 19600
BZD 2.017086
CAD 1.40907
CDF 2865.000362
CHF 0.88843
CLF 0.035528
CLP 980.330396
CNY 7.232504
CNH 7.23882
COP 4445.5
CRC 509.261887
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 104.850394
CZK 23.991704
DJF 177.720393
DKK 7.087604
DOP 60.403884
DZD 133.700309
EGP 49.354904
ERN 15
ETB 122.000358
EUR 0.95017
FJD 2.27695
FKP 0.789317
GBP 0.79331
GEL 2.73504
GGP 0.789317
GHS 15.95039
GIP 0.789317
GMD 71.000355
GNF 8630.000355
GTQ 7.728257
GYD 209.258103
HKD 7.78597
HNL 25.12504
HRK 7.133259
HTG 131.547827
HUF 387.660388
IDR 15909.85
ILS 3.743305
IMP 0.789317
INR 84.437404
IQD 1310.5
IRR 42092.503816
ISK 137.870386
JEP 0.789317
JMD 158.916965
JOD 0.709104
JPY 154.346504
KES 129.503801
KGS 86.503799
KHR 4050.00035
KMF 466.575039
KPW 899.999621
KRW 1395.330383
KWD 0.30755
KYD 0.833948
KZT 497.28482
LAK 21953.000349
LBP 89550.000349
LKR 292.337966
LRD 184.000348
LSL 18.220381
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 4.875039
MAD 10.013504
MDL 18.182248
MGA 4665.000347
MKD 58.285952
MMK 3247.960992
MNT 3397.999946
MOP 8.023973
MRU 39.960379
MUR 47.210378
MVR 15.450378
MWK 1736.000345
MXN 20.38441
MYR 4.470504
MZN 63.903729
NAD 18.220377
NGN 1665.820377
NIO 36.765039
NOK 11.100195
NPR 134.517795
NZD 1.707184
OMR 0.385009
PAB 1.000643
PEN 3.803039
PGK 4.01975
PHP 58.788038
PKR 277.703701
PLN 4.10115
PYG 7807.725419
QAR 3.640604
RON 4.727804
RSD 111.161038
RUB 99.99905
RWF 1369
SAR 3.756121
SBD 8.390419
SCR 14.699771
SDG 601.503676
SEK 10.991305
SGD 1.342965
SHP 0.789317
SLE 22.603667
SLL 20969.504736
SOS 571.503662
SRD 35.315504
STD 20697.981008
SVC 8.755664
SYP 2512.529858
SZL 18.220369
THB 34.853504
TJS 10.667159
TMT 3.51
TND 3.157504
TOP 2.342104
TRY 34.43905
TTD 6.794573
TWD 32.499504
TZS 2660.000335
UAH 41.333087
UGX 3672.554232
UYU 42.941477
UZS 12835.000334
VES 45.722177
VND 25390
VUV 118.722009
WST 2.791591
XAF 620.560244
XAG 0.033056
XAU 0.00039
XCD 2.70255
XDR 0.753817
XOF 619.503595
XPF 113.550363
YER 249.875037
ZAR 18.221504
ZMK 9001.203587
ZMW 27.473463
ZWL 321.999592
  • RBGPF

    1.6500

    61.84

    +2.67%

  • CMSC

    0.0200

    24.57

    +0.08%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0100

    6.78

    -0.15%

  • SCS

    -0.0400

    13.23

    -0.3%

  • CMSD

    0.0822

    24.44

    +0.34%

  • NGG

    0.3800

    62.75

    +0.61%

  • GSK

    -0.6509

    33.35

    -1.95%

  • RIO

    0.5500

    60.98

    +0.9%

  • VOD

    0.0900

    8.77

    +1.03%

  • BCC

    -0.2600

    140.09

    -0.19%

  • RELX

    -1.5000

    44.45

    -3.37%

  • AZN

    -1.8100

    63.23

    -2.86%

  • JRI

    0.0235

    13.1

    +0.18%

  • BCE

    -0.0200

    26.82

    -0.07%

  • BP

    -0.0700

    28.98

    -0.24%

  • BTI

    0.9000

    36.39

    +2.47%

Sun shines for Osaka in Madrid
Sun shines for Osaka in Madrid / Photo: © AFP

Sun shines for Osaka in Madrid

Naomi Osaka passed her first clay-court test of the season with flying colours, snapping the nine-match winning streak of Anastasia Potapova with a smooth 6-3, 6-1 victory to reach the second round of the Madrid Open.

Text size:

The former world No.1, who received entry into the tournament via a wildcard, needed just 61 minutes to ease past Russia’s Potapova, who was coming off a title run in Istanbul last week and won nine consecutive matches on clay coming into their showdown.

“I wouldn’t say it was an easy match, I feel like I just adjusted a little bit. It’s really good to be playing on clay again,” said Osaka.

She next takes on home favourite Sara Sorribes Tormo or last year’s Roland Garros runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Osaka hit six aces and dropped just three points behind her first serve in her first meeting with Potapova.

Earlier in the day, former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu recorded her first top-50 victory on clay with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 dismissal of American Alison Riske.

"I have to say that compared to last year, this year is much, much better. I was in quarantine last year because I caught Covid, so to be here actually playing the tournament this year is incredible,” said Andreescu, who takes on Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins in the second round.

No.4 seed Maria Sakkari survived a tough two-hour 30-minute duel with American power-hitter Madison Keys, saving five out of seven break points en route to a 6-7(8/10), 6-3, 6-4 result.

The 26-year-old Greek, who next faces Russian former top-10 player Daria Kasatkina, picked up her first victory since losing the Indian Wells final to Iga Swiatek nearly six weeks ago, having lost her Miami opener and having retired during her Stuttgart first round last week.

“Obviously Madi is a big-hitter, I think conditions suit her well here,” Sakkari told reporters in Madrid on Friday.

“When I saw the draw, I was like, ‘F***, that’s a first round’, you know. There are a lot of tough first rounds here.

“I just trusted my game, first set we couldn’t break each other so it was pretty even. I was unlucky in a few moments in the tiebreak. But overall I think it was a very positive match to get myself back into the winning feeling.”

Three-time Madrid champion Petra Kvitova was sent packing 6-3, 7-5 by Swiss lefty Jil Teichmann , who next faces last year’s US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez.

Canadian Fernandez overcame German qualifier Andrea Petkovic 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 to post her first ever victory in Madrid.

Fernandez and her father are huge Real Madrid fans and the 19-year-old said she feels extra motivated to make it deep into the tournament this week so she is still around for Los Blancos’ Champions League semi-final second leg against Manchester City on Wednesday.

M.McCoy--TFWP