Naomi Osaka registered a straight-sets victory over Jasmine Paolini in Tokyo, having wore a Japan-inspired outfit as she made her way to the court; Venus Williams suffered a first-round exit to teenager Lilli Tagger at the Guangzhou Open Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Home favourite Naomi Osaka said she wanted to bring “a bit of a show” to the Pan Pacific Open after wearing a Japan-inspired outfit before beating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the opening round. The seventh seed defeat Paolini in 6-3 7-6 (4) in a match lasting one hour and 37 minutes in Tokyo, saving saved three consecutive set points in the second set before sealing victory in the tiebreak to advance to the second round. Osaka returned to Tokyo for the first time in four years and wore a blue-and-white, crane-embroidered kimono-inspired outfit designed by Hana Yagi – who created her Wimbledon outfit – as she entered the WTA 500 event. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player “I was just really glad that she [Yagi] wanted to work with me again,” Osaka said.
“I feel like for me I haven’t been here in a little bit of a while, so It’s just nice to bring a bit of a show here too.” Victory for Osaka avenges her loss to Paolini last year in the Miami Open, their only previous meeting, with the 29-year-old racking up seven aces to her opponent’s one during the tournament-opening victory. “The match was really difficult,” Osaka added. “I played her once before and I lost, so I’m really glad to be on a home court and win. I talked to her and she hurt herself, so I just wish that you know she [Paolini] gets healthy soon.” The four-time Grand Slam champion is playing some of her best tennis since returning after giving birth three years ago to her daughter, Shai, with Osaka saying earlier this week she would step away from the game if her child asker her to.
World No 1 Elena Rybakina had a bye in the first round, while No 2 seed Maja Chwalinska and fourth seed Belinda Bencic have both withdrawn through injury. Tennis great Venus Williams fell to 0-13 in singles matches this year after losing 6-2 6-2 to teenager Lilli Tagger in the opening round of the Guangzhou Open. The 28-year age gap between the two players is understood to be a record difference between opponents in a WTA Tour match, with Tagger born in 2008 – the year Williams won the last of her seven Grand Slam singles titles at Wimbledon. Williams – now ranked No 599 and aged 46 – was playing her first singles match for two months since the US Open, where she lost in the first round to Sofia Kenin.
Williams created no break-point chances and Tagger took four of the 16 she had. “When I saw the draw I was super excited and a bit nervous – I respect her a lot,” Tagger said. “It is funny she used to play with my coach [Francesca Schiavone]. I would love to play at this age – I want to congratulate her.”
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