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By ANDREW DAMPF AP Sports activities Author
TOKYO (AP) — Naomi Osaka is again taking part in, nonetheless profitable, and likewise speaking to the media once more.
The Japanese celebrity who lit the Olympic cauldron defeated 52nd-ranked Zheng Saisai of China 6-1, 6-4 on Sunday in her first match in almost two months.
Osaka hadn’t performed since she withdrew from the French Open in Could to take a psychological well being break, revealing that she has handled despair. She then sat out Wimbledon.
Osaka stopped to speak with reporters afterward, having stated in Paris that she experiences “large waves of hysteria” earlier than assembly with the media and that she can be skipping information conferences.
“Greater than the rest I’m simply centered on taking part in tennis,” Osaka stated. “The Olympics has been a dream of mine since I used to be a child so I really feel just like the break that I took was very wanted. I really feel undoubtedly a bit of bit refreshed and I’m pleased once more.”
She added that she was “pleased” that reporters have been asking her questions, then added: “I really feel a bit of bit out of my physique proper now.”
“There’s nothing flawed with my physique, I simply felt actually nervous,” Osaka stated. “I haven’t performed since France so there have been undoubtedly some issues that I did a bit flawed however I feel I can enhance within the matches that I proceed taking part in.”
The second-ranked Osaka was sharp from the beginning, serving an ace down the T on the opening level of the match and and racing out to a 5-0 lead.
Carrying a brilliant purple costume and a purple visor and together with her hair styled in red-and-white braids to match the colours of the Japanese flag stitched onto the left aspect of her chest, Osaka served six aces in all and produced 25 winners to Zheng’s 10.
When it was over, Osaka bowed to Zheng and waved her racket to the largely empty stadium, which contained about 100 individuals — almost all of them help workers or media.
Osaka’s match was initially scheduled to open the event on Saturday however then was pushed again a day earlier than her starring position in Friday’s opening ceremony.
“I really feel very very proud,” Osaka stated, revealing that Olympic organizers requested her to deal with the cauldron honors again in March.
“Once I lit the flame I used to be tremendous honored,” she added. “I feel that’s a place that you just dream about and never anybody can do it so for me after they requested me if I wished to I used to be very stunned however very honored and I’m simply very pleased to be right here and really pleased to play — particularly in Tokyo.”
Osaka will subsequent face Fiftieth-ranked Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland.
On a great day for the host nation, 2016 bronze medalist Kei Nishikori beat fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-4.
For different high gamers within the tennis event on the Tokyo Video games, it wasn’t so simple.
Prime-ranked Ash Barty was upset by Forty eighth-ranked Spanish opponent Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-4, 6-3 and two-time defending gold medalist Andy Murray withdrew from singles due to a proper quad pressure.
Each nonetheless stay within the doubles competitors.
Barty gained with Australian associate Storm Sanders on Saturday whereas Murray and British associate Joe Salisbury beat the second-seeded French staff of Pierre-Hughes Herbert and Nicolas Mahut.
Barty’s singles defeat got here 15 days after she gained Wimbledon for her second Grand Slam title.
She struggled with a whopping 55 unforced errors to Sorribes Tormo’s 13 and bought in solely 54% of her first serves in comparison with her opponent’s 83%.
“I by no means actually felt snug on the market and wasn’t capable of play the match on my phrases,” Barty stated. “The important thing to my sport is serving nicely and I wasn’t in a position to try this right now. I used to be a bit erratic and made too many errors.”
Murray pulled out shortly forward of his scheduled opener towards ninth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada on Heart Court docket.
“I’m actually dissatisfied at having to withdraw however the medical workers have suggested me towards taking part in in each occasions, so I’ve made the troublesome determination to withdraw from the singles and concentrate on taking part in doubles with Joe,” Murray stated.
It’s the most recent setback for the 34-year-old Murray after solely lately returning to the tour from a three-month absence due to a groin downside. He has additionally had critical points with a nasty hip that wound up requiring two operations.
Murray has a complete of three Olympic medals. He additionally gained a silver in blended doubles on the 2012 London Video games with Laura Robson.
Warmth and humidity have been points once more with the temperature rising to 91 levels F (33 levels C) and the solar baking the arduous courts at Ariake Tennis Park.
Additionally advancing was Wimbledon finalist Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, No. 4 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, No. 7 Gabrine Muguruza of Spain and No. 10 Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic.
Carla Suarez Navarro, the Spaniard who plans to retire this yr, beat Ons Jabeur of Tunisia 6-4, 6-1 for her first victory since recovering from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Camila Giorgi of Italy eradicated Jennifer Brady, the American who was this yr’s Australian Open finalist, 6-3, 6-2.
Among the many males advancing have been third-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, No. 4 Alexander Zverev of Germany and Max Purcell of Australia — who took Murray’s spot within the draw and defeated Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-6 (2).
Additionally, Frances Tiafoe and Marcos Giron — the remaining Individuals within the males’s singles draw — each gained. Tiafoe beat Kwon Quickly-woo of South Korea 6-3, 6-2 and Giron defeated Norbert Gombos of Slovakia 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-2.
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Related Press author Syd Fryer contributed to this report.
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Extra AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2020-tokyo-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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Andrew Dampf is at https://twitter.com/AndrewDampf
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