After a grueling two and a half hour contest, world number one Naomi Osaka came out on top with a 6-4 6-7(5) 6-2 victory against 84th ranked Anna Blinkova.
While Blinkova’s ability on the court impressed the crowd in the Arthur Ashe Stadium, Osaka was taking no prisoners as she powered through a tense first set with a 6-4 victory after 43 minutes.
Things got a little sticky for the Japanese star in the second set, as Blinkova refused to allow her service to break and the game to a tiebreak. With Blinkova narrowly winning the tiebreak 7-5, the match was forced into a third and final set.
Despite the previous set taking an hour and ten minutes to complete, Osaka remained energetic in the third set, sweeping aside her Russian opponent with a 6-2 victory to wrap up the match.
While the match was closer than expected, it was nevertheless a strong showing from Osaka, who served an impressive eight aces throughout the match. With only one double fault throughout the match, the WTA number one showed that making unnecessary errors is not on her agenda at this year’s final Grand Slam. With stiff competitors such as Serena Williams, Kiki Bertens, Elina Svitolina and Madison Keys all still in contention, Osaka will certainly need her wits about her as she enters the second round at Flushing Meadows.
