Naomi Osaka came through a scare against world number 65 Antonia Ruzic to avoid an early exit.
The two-time Australian Open champion took the opening set 6-3 and looked in control, but Ruzic hit back, winning the second set by the same scoreline.
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Osaka, who many expect to climb back into the WTA top 10 this year, found herself in trouble after being broken midway through the final set. That gave Ruzic a 4-3 lead and put her on the brink of an upset.
But Osaka responded well, reeling off three straight games to seal her place in the next round.
Speaking after the match, Osaka explained that she made a tactical adjustment during the third set—a change she felt should have come sooner.
Naomi Osaka shifted her play towards Antonia Ruzic’s forehand late in their Australian Open match
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images
Speaking after her win, Osaka credited Ruzic for the challenge, and explained what led to her tactical change late in the deciding set.
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“I mean, honestly what was going in my head was that I thought my level was pretty good,” Osaka told reporters in Melbourne.
“If she’s playing at a level that’s higher than mine the entire time, then she deserves to win. Obviously I don’t want that to happen. But if it does, then it’s out of my hands because I’m literally doing the best that I can.
“I tried to change it up a little. I know she had, like, a really good backhand. I tried to hit more to her forehand. I tried to be a little bit more solid, then kind of accelerate when I could.
“Then obviously my serve came in really clutch at the end.”
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Reflecting further on the match during her post-match press conference, Osaka admitted she wasn’t surprised by how tough an opponent Ruzic turned out to be.
The four-time Grand Slam champion also conceded that some of her decisions may have made things harder than they needed to be on court.
She said: “No, I mean, I think for me today, I obviously didn’t know much about her. Like, I’ve never played her before. I watched videos, of course.
“But going into matches like those, especially since she’s young. Like for me there are so many points that ended up being really long rallies even though this court is supposed to be faster,” she continued.
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What did Naomi Osaka say about facing Sorana Cirstea next?
Cirstea is currently ranked 41st in the world and is now entering her 20th year on tour after making her debut way back in 2006. She announced at the end of last year that this season would be her last.
The Romanian came from behind in round one against Eva Lys (3-6 6-4 6-3) and looking ahead to their meeting this week, Osaka said: “Cirstea? I don’t know if I’ve played her before, but obviously I’ve seen her around quite a few times.