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Naomi Osaka won her second-round match against Eva Lys at the Italian Open. Her coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, was absent, and she provided an explanation during the post-match press conference.
Photo by Chris Arjoon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Naomi Osaka defeated Eva Lys, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, in the second round of the Italian Open.
However, her coach Tomasz Wiktorowski was not there to watch her.
Osaka explained why during her post-match press conference.
Photo by Chris Arjoon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
āHe has, like, a personal thing that he had to go do,ā she said.
āBut he told me about it beforehand.
āIt wasnāt like he just dipped out on me.ā
Osaka still had plenty of support from her team, and she talked about who stepped in to back her up.
āThatās Matias [Zukas]. Heās my hitting partner,ā she said.
āHe takes on the role of coach when Tomasz [Wiktorowski] isnāt there.ā
She also spoke about how important Wiktorowski is when asked how she goes about preparing for a player she hasnāt faced before, such as Lys.
āHonestly, I kind of leave that up to my coach,ā said Osaka.
āI have a pretty big talk with him before.
She also shared her confidence coming into the match, feeling good after Madrid despite some time having passed since then. She believes she can keep improving and building on her current form. This confidence could serve her well in Rome and looking ahead to Roland Garros.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, British tennis player Liam Broady gave his thoughts on Osakaās victory.
Naomi Osaka explained the reason for Tomasz Wiktorowski's absence during her post-match press conference.
Naomi Osaka defeated Eva Lys with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the second round.
Naomi Osaka won her opening match against Eva Lys, advancing to the next round of the tournament.
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āWhat a match that was, it was a titanic battle of wills,ā he said.
āEva Lys did herself proud there. I actually thought she played very well.ā
āMade such a match out of it, where many players would have gone away after that first set with the way [Naomi] Osaka was playing.ā
Broady is backing Osaka to go far in Rome, but her path wonāt be easy. Next up for the Japanese star is Diana Shnaider of Russia in the third round.
If she gets through that, thereās a good chance sheāll face Iga Swiatek in the last 16. Swiatek hasnāt lost to Osaka since 2019 and leads their head-to-head 2-1.
But if Osaka can pull off an upset against Swiatek, she could be looking at matches against Jessica Pegula in the quarters, Elena Rybakina in the semis, and possibly Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
The road ahead looks tough for Osaka if she wants to claim her first WTA title on clay. But given her form this season, thereās every reason to believe she could make some noise in Rome.
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