Naomi OSAKA (JPN) plays Anastasia PAVLYUCHENKOVA (RUS) on Rod Laver Arena during Day 1 of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Monday, February 8, 2021. MANDATORY PHOTO CREDIT Tennis Australia/ Rob Prezioso
The former world No. 1 and No. 3 seed Naomi Osaka got the Australian Open off to a flying start beating Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2,6-1 in just 68 minutes.
Wearing leggings on a cool Melbourne day, 23 year old Osaka notched up her 15th straight victory .
Many people’s favourite to repeat her 2019 victory the Japanese became the first player to notch up a win in the 2021 edition.
Osaka broke Pavlyuchenkova’s serve five times on her way to victory, dropping her own just once.
The Florida based Japanese showed no signs of the back injury which kept her out of a semi-final appearance in the Gippsland Trophy warm-up event at Melbourne Park last week but she showed no signs of discomfort on Monday.
She next faces either Polona Hercog or Caroline Garcia in the second round
Main photo:- Naomi Osaka wins her first round match – Tennis Australia by Rob Prezioso
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