New mom Naomi Osaka received the primary match of her comeback by beating Tamara Korpatsch in straight units on the Brisbane Worldwide.
The Japanese four-time Grand Slam champion, enjoying in her first event for 15 months, defeated the unseeded German 6-3 7-6 (11-9).
She is going to face Karolina Pliskova subsequent.
“I am very happy with myself,” stated Osaka, 26. “I really feel like I performed at a reasonably good degree. I feel my opponent performed rather well as nicely.”
Osaka moved impressively and hit the ball with acquainted energy in an completed return, however did present a number of indicators of nerves after opening a 5-3 lead within the second set.
She turned somewhat ragged and needed to save two set factors earlier than successful a topsy-turvy tie-break 11-9 to arrange a second-round assembly with fellow former world primary Pliskova.
Osaka briefly acknowledged the New 12 months’s Day crowd as she walked out to a heat reception, with the rain falling on the roof of the Pat Rafter Area.
At present unranked, Osaka made the right begin and broke Korpatsch to like with some crisp ball placing and a few highly effective winners.
The world quantity 84 supplied some stable resistance after that, however Osaka broke once more to take her second set level with a mighty forehand winner.
The match threatened to show early within the second set – Osaka made a tentative begin after each gamers returned from the toilet and he or she conceded serve with a double fault.
However she restored parity instantly with some thumping winners and moved to the brink of victory by breaking the Korpatsch serve for a 5-3 lead.
It will probably usually show tough to shut out matches after such an extended break from competitors, and so it proved as Osaka performed a unfastened service sport to concede the benefit.
Korpatsch was rising in confidence and earned two set factors. The second, on her personal serve, was saved by a strong Osaka backhand and the Japanese participant was then capable of recover from the road on her personal serve.
“She returned fairly nicely in direction of the tip of the second set. That type of threw me off somewhat bit,” stated Osaka.
“I simply really feel like I used to be nervous so I wasn’t capable of shut out factors the way in which I wished to. I feel I’ve to anticipate that from the primary match of the 12 months.”
