Naomi Osaka has continued her run at the Miami Open after beating Hailey Baptiste to reach the fourth round.
Osaka was disappointed at Indian Wells, after losing her only match at the WTA 1000 tournament to Camila Osorio in straight sets.
However, after having some time to practise Osaka returned to winning ways at the Miami Open, the tournament where she was a finalist in 2022.
While she has been able to win three consecutive matches for the first time since January, Osaka has not had it all her own way and had to do something for the first time in her career against Baptiste.
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty ImagesNaomi Osaka sets personal career record in latest Miami Open win
Osaka was pleased with her movement in particular prior to her third round match, but against Baptiste it was her fighting spirit that really stood out.
Having trailed the American wildcard 4-2 in the deciding set, Osaka fought back to win four consecutive games to take the match.
Osaka beat Baptiste, 7-6(6) 3-6 6-4, in their third round match at the Miami Open, that lasted two hours and 59 minutes.
Notably, this is the longest match at the WTA tournament so far in Miami and it is also the most time that Osaka has spent on court to obtain a victory throughout her entire career.
One of the other more memorable matches that went the distance in Osaka’s career came in the 2019 Australian Open final, where she beat Petra Kvitova in three sets to claim her second of what is now four major titles.
This is not the only time this week that Osaka has had to comeback to win a match at the Miami Open, as she was also a set and 4-2 down in her opener against Ukrainian qualifier Yulia Starodubtseva.
What has Naomi Osaka said about her fitness?
Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one, having returned to the WTA Tour at the start of the 2024 season after spending 15 months on the sidelines following falling pregnant with her daughter, Shai.
The 27-year-old has not been able to surpass the third round of a major tournament since, but told her press conference at the Miami Open that she believes her fitness levels are the best they have been in years.
“Honestly, I feel like I’m better than 2021,” said Osaka. “You know, Covid really set me back, I’m not going to lie. I was in the house doing nothing (smiling).
“But yeah, I think I’m definitely faster than 2021. I think I was a teenager in, like, 2018 so should I really compare myself? I don’t know. But yeah, fitness-wise definitely the best I’ve been in a couple of years, for sure.”
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images
Osaka will look to continue her run at the Miami Open when she takes on sixth seed Jasmine Paolini, who beat Ons Jabeur by retirement in a significantly shorter match.
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