TOKYO: Former world number one Angelique Kerber thrashed Japan’s Naomi Osaka 6-3, 6-4 at the Pan Pacific Open women’s tennis tournament on Monday to avenge a humiliating loss at the US Open.
Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic suffered an epic Tokyo meltdown, meanwhile, as she was pulverised by China’s Wang Qiang, who inflicted the dreaded “double bagel” on the eighth seed to win 6-0, 6-0 and reach the second round.
Kerber, seeded seventh, crashed to a shock 6-3, 6-1 first-round defeat by Osaka in New York last month as defending champion. But a repeat never seemed likely on Monday as the German quickly took control.
Kerber, who has slipped back to 14th in the world since winning last year’s Australian and US Open titles, ripped forehands past her teenage opponent seemingly at will in the first set. Osaka’s game unravelled completely in the second, giving Kerber a welcome opportunity to work her way back to form after a poor run of results and to seal victory in an hour and 23 minutes.
“I was trying to come out, focus on every single point and make it better than last time,” said Kerber.
Elsewhere, Japanese wildcard Kurumi Nara beat Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. “It gives me confidence that I was able to turn it around,” said Nara.
Two-time champion Agnieszka Radwanska, seeded sixth, pulled out of the tournament with a virus, according to organisers. — AFP
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