AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Kicking off the year with a bang, Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, demonstrated her prowess on Wednesday by defeating Julia Grabher with a score of 7-5, 6-3, propelling herself into the quarterfinals of the Auckland tennis classic.
Despite battling a gusty breeze and enduring a prolonged rain delay, Osaka sailed through the second round with relative ease. Although the wind made her ball toss tricky at times, she remarkable never faced a break point, winning key breaks against Grabher in each set, thus securing her spot in Auckland’s last eight for the second time — the first being her debut in 2017.
“She presented quite a challenge for me on the court, and I really had to zero in on my own game and shake off my nerves,” Osaka noted after the match.
“I received invaluable guidance from my coach,” she continued, speaking of Patrick Mouratoglou, who recently joined her team and previously worked closely with Serena Williams. “I focused on my key strategies and was prepared to go down swinging if necessary. Thankfully, I’ve made it to the next round.”
Displaying no signs of the back injury that curtailed her 2024 season at the China Open, Osaka moved gracefully around the court. She approached the net sparingly yet effectively, unleashing powerful shots, particularly from her forehand.
Her first serve was a formidable asset, allowing her to win 80% of points when she successfully placed the serve into play.
The opening set was a nail-biter, remaining on serve until the dramatic 12th game. After a rain interruption while she was ahead 40-15 in the prior game, Osaka returned with renewed focus, holding her serve and immediately breaking her Austrian opponent to clinch the first set.
In the second set, she held serve to love in two of her initial three games and broke Grabher in the sixth game to establish a 4-2 lead. Osaka maintained her composure, comfortably serving out the match on her first match point.
The Auckland tournament serves as an important preparation event for the Australian Open, commencing on January 12. The competition lost some star attraction when Emma Raducanu, the former U.S. Open champion, withdrew due to a back injury, and Elise Mertens also pulled out, creating a more navigable draw for Osaka.
