Azarenka downs Osorio, Osaka ousts Errani from Italian Open; Muller mauls Lehecka

Victoria Azarenka, the 2013 Internazionali BNLd'Italiafinalist, opened her 2025 campaign with a straight-sets defeat of Camila Osorio.

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Fresh off capturing last week's Saint-Malo WTA 125 title, Naomi Osaka extended her winning streak to six after coming from 3-1 down in the second set to defeat wild card Sara Errani in the Internazionali BNL d'Italia first round.

Caroline Dolehide needed 2 hours and 48 minutes on Wednesday to overcome lucky loser Olivia Gadecki and reach the second round.

Earlier, Osaka opened her account with a 6-2, 6-3 win over wild card Errani. She struck 40 winners in total, frequently finding breathtaking angles with her backhand, to overcome the clay-court wiles of the 38-year-old Italian.

That's a six-match winning streak now, on a surface Osaka has long regarded with suspicion. She will next face No. 9 seed Paula Badosa.

For players who've reached the highest level of the sport, the idea of competing at a lower tier can be a complicated one — so much so that it became the central theme of Luca Guadagnino's 2024 film “Challengers.”

Can a star player still feel they're to good for a relatively lowly event, even when their ranking is no longer in the Top 30? Does it bring unnecessary added pressure when casual fans expect you to cruise to the title?