“I anticipate a really difficult match,” Naomi Osaka ready to face Bianca Andreescu in ‘really fun’ quarterfinal clash at Nottingham Open

Osaka has reached her first grass-court quarterfinals in almost five years.

“I anticipate a really difficult match,” Naomi Osaka ready to face Bianca Andreescu in ‘really fun’ quarterfinal clash at Nottingham Open

Naomi Osaka and Bianca Andreescu (Via Imago)

Naomi Osaka continued her impressive return to the grass courts of Hertogenbosch with a straight-set win yesterday over Suzan Lamens. After an improved run at the hard courts, Osaka stirred the whole WTA circuit by almost upsetting Iga Swiatek in the Roland Garros second round. However, she failed in her conquest and headed toward the Netherlands to kick-start her grass-court journey. 

Having not played on grass for almost five years, the Japanese pro started with a dominant victory over fourth seed Elise Mertens. Following her first-round victory, Osaka carried the same momentum into the second round and beat Lamens 6-2, 6-2 to secure yet another victory on grass. 

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Osaka, who revealed after her first-round win that she felt like a newbie, felt more comfortable in her second match and is excited to head to her first grass-court quarterfinals since 2019. She will now take on her old rival Bianca Andreescu in a battle of the 2018 and 2019 US Open champions. 

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I know we're both trying to come back and we're almost kind of back, so this is really fun. I anticipate a really difficult match. She's a player, to me, who's really fun to play against because she can change anything in the match, like her play style or where she stands. 
Naomi Osaka said via Eurosport

Currently, the 26-year-old hopes to win at least one tournament, which has been her long-term project goal since her return. Osaka, who has never had a good outing on grass, hopes to change up things and make some impact heading into the third Grand Slam of the season.

Naomi Osaka starting to get to the grips of grass with Wimbledon slowly approaching

The prestigious Wimbledon is set to begin on the 1st of July and many players have already started preparing for the Slam. One player, who has their eyes on the ultimate prize is 4-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka. 

Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka (Via Imago)

The Japanese ace returned to the grass courts after four years and got off to a flying start with a win over the fourth seed in the Dutch tournament. Moreover, she also cruised past her second-round victory in no time to seal her first quarter-final entry on grass. 

When asked to speak about the match, Osaka revealed her goals and how she wants to improve with every passing practice and match. 

I felt more comfortable today than the day before and hopefully with every match and every practice, I can continue to get better.
Naomi Osaka said

With this win, Osaka equaled her best result since giving birth last July. After trying all year, the Japanese reached the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open to only lose there. With another opportunity in front of her, Osaka would hope to win the match and secure her best run since her return.

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