Osaka defeats Israeli qualifier Glushko, reaches second round at Auckland Open

Osaka defeats Israeli qualifier Glushko, reaches second round at Auckland Open

Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka began her season with a straight-sets victory over Israeli qualifier Lina Glushko at the Auckland Open, a WTA 250 event, on Monday.

Seventh-seeded Osaka, a four-time Major winner, defeated World No. 220 Glushko 6-4, 6-4 in an hour and 25 minutes in only her second appearance in Auckland. She had previously reached the quarterfinals in 2017.

Osaka broke Glushko’s serve once in the opening set. In the second set, she let a 3-1 lead slip away before coming back to wrap up the contest. She hit seven aces, won 77 per cent of her first-serve points and 64 per cent of her second-serve points in the match.

Japan’s Osaka, chasing her first title since Australian Open 2021, faces either Spain’s Leyre Romero Gormaz or Austria’s Julia Grabher next for a place in the quarterfinals.

The 27-year-old Osaka, currently ranked 58th in the world, returned to professional tennis in January this year after the birth of her daughter Shai in July 2023.

Her best results since then have been two quarterfinal appearances.