Fresh off her “kinda ironic” title run at the WTA 125 event in Saint-Malo, Naomi Osaka extended her winning streak to six matches with a solid 6-2 6-3 victory over wildcard Sara Errani in the first round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. The four-time Grand Slam champion came from 1-3 down in the second set, reeling off five straight games to seal the win in one hour and 21 minutes.
Last week in France, Osaka claimed the first clay-court title of her career—an important milestone given that clay has always been considered her least favorite surface. It was also her first appearance at a WTA 125 tournament in a decade, which was a tactical step down in level to build confidence and match rhythm.
Now in Rome, Osaka faced a tough first-round test against a seasoned clay-court veteran. Errani, the 2012 Roland Garros singles finalist and doubles champion, has built her career on gritty baseline play and finesse on clay. Osaka, however, powered through with 40 winners—some of them truly mouthwatering—and imposed her aggressive game despite a few hiccups with the windy conditions early in the second set.
Osaka’s six-match winning streak marks her longest run of victories since returning to the tour. Up next, she faces ninth seed Paula Badosa, who recently opened up about the ongoing challenge of managing a chronic back injury, an issue that continues to impact her performance and day-to-day life.
