INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters): Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka, Emma Raducanu and Caroline Wozniacki reached the second round of Indian Wells on Thursday while former world number one Venus Williams was heading for victory before losing the last 10 games to Japan’s Nao Hibino.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka, who returned to the tour in January after a maternity break, fell behind 2-1 in the first set to qualifier Sara Errani when she misfired on an overhead into the net in windy conditions.
But the Japanese player settled in from there, using her power to push the Italian around the court and won 10 of the final 11 games to advance 6-3 6-1. “It was really tricky for me in the first set,” she told reporters.
“I didn’t know if I should play with her and then go for my shots or if I should immediately go for my shots. That took a little bit of working out, which is why the first set was closer than I would have wanted.”
Osaka, who received a wildcard to play at the event she won in 2018 for her first professional title, next faces 14th seed Liudmila
Former U.S. Open champion Raducanu beat Spanish qualifier Rebeka Masarova 6-2 6-3 earlier in the day to set up a second-round clash with 30th seed Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine.
The British wildcard broke serve six times but also served eight double faults and needed four match points to close out the contest, which ended when Masarova’s backhand sailed long.
Raducanu is playing in her fifth tournament since returning to action in January after being sidelined for eight months due to wrist and ankle surgeries.
Wozniacki, 33, scored her first win in the California desert since 2019, beating Zhu Lin 7-6(6) 6-1 in a match that began on Wednesday before being halted due to rain.
The Dane returned to the tour last year after stepping away from the sport in 2020 to start a family. The tournament’s 2011 champion and former world number one will next take on Croatian Donna Vekic, who is seeded 25th.
