Naomi Osaka will face in-form Danielle Collins in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open after defeating Alison Riske 6-3, 6-4 in 1 hour, 32 minutes on Monday.
Osaka, now ranked 77 in the world, has never advanced past the quarterfinals in Miami.
Against Riske she was in good form, racing to a 5-3 lead in the first set before her opponent fought back, but then won the set in the next game.
Osaka then saved three of the four break points she faced in the second set to win the tie.
“I felt a bit rusty because I haven’t played in three days, so (I was) just kind of trying to get back confident and into the groove of things,” Osaka said.
“The last time I played her, it’s been a couple of years, and knowing that she’s a really tough opponent and knowing she’s a bit unorthodox, I would say, the trajectory of her balls were quite difficult for me.”
