Roland-Garros: Anisimova beats Osaka for the second Grand Slam in a row

Amanda Anisimova, a former French Open semi-finalist, will next face will Croatian Donna Vekic in the second round of Roland-Garros

Amanda Anisimova at Roland-Garros 2022 Image Credit: AI / Reuters / Panoramic

Tennis Majors

May 23, 2022

American Amanda Anisimova has defeated four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka for the second Grand Slam in a row, this time at Roland-Garros.

Anisimova needed one hour and 30 minutes for the 7-5, 6-4 win in Paris on Monday, which moves her into the second round of the French Open in Paris.

Seeded 27th, Anisimova was the higher ranked player coming into this match but Osaka has been climbing her way back up the rankings after a difficult 2021, which saw her pull out of the French Open after her first-round win last year. That withdrawal came after the Japanese player was unable to cope up with the backlash of her decision not to attend any press conferences in Paris, saying that it affected her mental health.

Anisimova also defeated Osaka in the third round of the Australian Open in January, saving two match points to win in a final set tiebreak and is now 2-0 against the former world No 1.

Meeting a four-time Grand Slam Champion in the first round?@AnisimovaAmanda says challenge accepted 💪#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/b8Ndu3rk9m
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 23, 2022

The American, who reached the semi-finals at Roland-Garros in 2019, will next meet Croatian Donna Vekic, who came through the qualifying event and won her first-round match on Sunday.

Vekic, a former top 20 player who is now ranked No 100 in the world after struggling with injuries for the past year, defeated Miriam Bjorklund in straight sets in her first round match.

Roland-Garros (Grand Slam), other first-round results played on Monday (Stade Roland-Garros, clay, EUR 43.600.000)