Naomi Osaka mounted a first-set comeback on Monday to score revenge for an Australian Open loss, with the four-time Grand Slam winner advancing to the second round of the Qatar Open.
The Japanese player making a comeback after maternity leave, defeated Caroline Garcia 7-5, 6-4 after losing in the first round of the Grand Slam to the Frenchwoman a month ago.
The LA-based Osaka rallied from 5-3 down in the first set and swept four games to claim the opener on her way to victory in 88 minutes.
Osaka claimed her first Top 50 win in two years as she appeared in Doha for the first time since 2018; she took more than a year away for mental burnout and later gave birth last summer to a daughter.
The winner will next face Croat Petra Martic, who put out Arantxa Rus 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(5) in just under three hours; Osaka and Martic first played a decade ago.
Main photo:- Naomi Osaka all smiles as she beats Caroline Garcia – by WTATennis.com
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