Former world number one tennis player from Japan, Naomi Osaka has made a winning comeback after four months out with victory in the first round of the Melbourne Summer Set event.
She was far from her best on her return but still did enough to beat France’s Alize Cornet [ 6-4 3-6 6-3].
Osaka returned to play at her home Olympics in Tokyo, the reigning Australian Open champion, took a four months break after a third round defeat at September’s US Open.
Osaka had 57 unforced errors, including eight double faults.
“I really love playing here,” she told the WTA after the match.
“I love New York, but this [the upcoming Australian Open] might be my favourite slam so it feels really good to always come back here.”
Osaka won the opening set and broke early in the second before Cornet fought back to win four straight games and the set.
The former world number one claimed the first three games of the final set before serving out the win from 0-30 down and set up a meeting with Petra Martic or Maryna Zanevska.
At last year’s French Open, the four-time Grand Slam winner said she would not do news conferences to protect her mental health.
She went on to pull out of the event and missed Wimbledon to take a break from tennis, having experienced anxiety and depression.
..BBC
