Osaka survives scare in Miami opener as Kenin defeats former champion Kvitova

Osaka next faces 24th seed Liudmila Samsonova. The 27-year-old is still trying to return to peak form after returning from an I5-month break last year after giving birth to daughter Shai in 2023

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Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osakarallied to beat Ukrainian qualifier Yulia Starodubtseva 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Tuesday to reach the second round of the Miami Open.

The Japanese star captured her first match win since she reached the third round of the Australian Open --where she retired with an abdominal injury while trailing Belinda Bencic.

Osaka bounced back from a first-round loss to Camila Osorio at Indian Wells, a match she called the “worst match I've ever played in my life”.

She said Tuesday she'd learned from that disappointing performance.

“(In Indian Wells) | was just over-hitting a lot, so | tried to use my legs,” she said in her on-court interview.

“I was going to run into every comer if | had to, and we were going to have to play for three hours if she was going to beat me.”

In fact, Osaka polished off the victory in two hours and 28 minutes, battling back after dropping the first five games.