Naomi Osaka has won back-to-back matches for the first time in three months after coming back from a set down to beat No. 21 seed Yulia Putintseva 3-6 6-4 6-2 in the Beijing second round.
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Early in the match, the four-time Grand Slam champion looked shaky but managed to save a total of three break points across the first and third games. But since the Kazakh kept pressing and the Japanese struggled to find her rhythm, the first set soon finished after the No. 21 seed claimed breaks in the fifth and ninth games to routinely win the opener.
After finding herself down by a set, Osaka started to play better and got her first break in the first game of the second set - but ended up losing it five games later. However, the former world No. 1 was able to stay composed after blowing an early break as she took Putintseva's serve once again in the ninth game before serving out for a decider in the following game.
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In the third set, the Japanese tennis star dropped her serve once but still very easily won the decider after breaking the Kazakh three times to complete her comeback win and win two matches in a row for the first time since 's-Hertogenbosch which took place in June.
Who is Osaka's next opponent and can she achieve her goal?
For a place in the China Open quarterfinal, the 2019 Beijing champion will play against 60th-ranked Katie Volynets. On paper, it looks like a very favorable matchup for the Japanese and a great chance to reach the quarterfinal of a WTA 1000 tournament.
When this week started, the 26-year-old - who hasn't won any titles since the 2021 Australian Open - shared that one of her big goals it to soon claim a trophy again.
Im glad that Im able to be able to play on this court again. And I hope to be able to lift a trophy again sometime soon," the Japanese said after her opening win.
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For Osaka, winning her second Beijing title - five years after her first came - would certainly be a dream scenario.
