Osaka through to 3rd round

Paris –  Naomi Osaka advanced to the third round of the French Open for the first time in seven years Thursday with a 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 win over Croatia’s Donna Vekic.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka will next take on American teenager Iva Jovic as both players attempt to reach the Last 16 at Roland Garros for the first time.

Osaka, seeded 16th, retrieved an early break against Vekic and then broke back again when her opponent was serving for the first set.

The Japanese star dominated a tie-break and came up with the decisive break late in the second set to put away the 72nd-ranked Vekic.

Osaka’s run to the US Open semifinals last year is the only time she has made the second week of a major since her last Grand Slam triumph at the 2021 Australian Open.

The former world number 1 returned to the courts in early 2024 after a year out following the birth of her daughter.