Naomi Osaka will face Liudmila Samsonova in the second round of the Canadian Open after defeating WTA main-draw debutant Ariana Arseneault in her Montreal opener on Monday.
Canada Open 2025: Naomi Osaka Beats Ariana Arseneault In First Round - Data Debrief
Osaka, who split with her coach Patrick Mouratoglou after almost a year working together on Sunday, overcame the Canadian qualifier 6-4 6-2 in an hour and 16 minutes
Osaka, who split with her coach Patrick Mouratoglou after almost a year working together on Sunday, overcame the Canadian qualifier 6-4 6-2 in an hour and 16 minutes.
Taking to the court after fellow former US Open champion Emma Raducanu eased past Elena-Gabriela Ruse and into the second round, Osaka followed suit.
The former world number one took the opening set with breaks in games five and nine, having briefly allowed Arseneault back into it with a break of her own in game eight.
The second set was more straightforward for Osaka, who failed to break Arseneault at the first attempt but then did so in each of the Canadian's next two service games.
Arseneault – who is 515th in the world rankings and had to defeat Destanee Aiava to reach the main draw of the WTA 1000 event – was unable to dig out a deep Osaka forehand on match point, as the four-time major champion progressed.
Data Debrief: Osaka avoids upset
Osaka was beaten by Raducanu at the Washington Open last week, but as she prepares for a return to Flushing Meadows – where she triumphed in 2018 and 2020 – the 27-year-old has consistently beaten those below her in the rankings.
She is now 11-1 this year in matches against players ranked outside the WTA's top 100.
Her only such defeat came against Belinda Bencic at the Australian Open, and Bencic is already back in the top 20 after skipping much of the 2024 season due to her pregnancy.
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