Osaka put a stop to Osorio’s great week in Indian Wells and will face Sabalenka

A year after the surprising defeat he suffered at the hands of Camila Osorio (61st) at its premiere, Naomi Osaka (16th) got her revenge by eliminating the Colombian in the third round of the WTA 1000 in Indian Wells by 6-1, 3-6 and 6-1. The Japanese woman’s next challenge? A crossing of powers against Aryna Sabalenka (1st).

The one from Cúcuta started the game shakily, with a low percentage of first services and a chaining of own errors of the tension that opened the door for the former world No. 1 to take the first round in only 26 minutes of action on court 2 of the complex.

The situation changed drastically from the second half, when the 24-year-old right-hander, the executioner of the locals Sloane Stephens (780th) and Iva Jovic (18th) in the previous phases, raised her effectiveness with the serve giving each other encouragement and taking away the Japanese’s possibility of dominance. But, everything he built in that section ended up tarnished by the outcome.

After 1h 39min on the court, Naomi Osaka positively resolved a hard-fought performance by 6-1, 3-6 and 6-1, taking revenge for that surprise double 6-4 defeat that she suffered at the hands of the South American in the first round of the American competition a year ago.

The four-time Grand Slam champion, who started the season with a record of three games won and one lost With a last appearance at the Australian Open where he had to withdraw from the competition before his third round match due to injury, he will have the opportunity on Californian soil to compete in a duel of powerhouses.

On the other side, in search of the quarterfinals, wait Aryna Sabalenka. The top figure on the women’s circuit qualified among the top 16 of the tournament for the fifth time in her career, beating the Japanese Himeno Sakatsume (6-4, 6-2) and the Romanian Jaqueline Cristian (6-4, 6-2) along the way.

Tomasz Wiktorowski’s pupil heads the head-to-head thanks to a single match played in the round of 16 of the US Open 2018. In those years, the results that Osaka achieved made her a sports star.

The inauguration of his record in Indian Wells was followed almost immediately by the first of his four Grand Slam consecrations and, months later, landing at the top of the world ranking.

All the WTA 1000 activity from Indian Wells can be followed LIVE on Disney+ Premium Plan.