Osaka wins first qualifier in Cincinnati, faces Krueger next

Naomi Osaka is one match away from the main draw of the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, with the former No 1 winning her first match of qualifying against Anna Blinkova, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 on Sunday.

A huge Cincinnati crowd turned out for the chance to see the four-time Grand Slam champion play in qualifying, and were not disappointed.

The clash was an entertaining affair, with Osaka getting off to a strong start, letting Blinkova back into the contest in the second set, then closing the match out in style.

However, Osaka nearly didn’t play the match due to a mix up with United Airlines.

The airline lost her bags en route to Cincinnati, with the Japanese player having to tweet them on X in order to retrieve her bags – which contained all her playing gear – just in time for the match.

Next up, Osaka will face America’s Ashlyn Krueger for a spot in the main draw. Krueger is ranked No 62 in the world, and defeated Moyuka Uchijima in the opening round of qualifying.

The winner will be randomly placed into one of eight spots for qualifiers in the main draw, with potential first-round opponents including Elina Svitolina, Donna Vekic and Marie Bouzkova.

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