Naomi Osaka beat Marta Kostyuk 6-3 6-2 to clinch the first top 20 win on clay of her career at the BNL Internazionali d’Italia in Rome.
Osaka has won back-to-back matches on clay for the first time since 2019.
Osaka hit six winners to eight unforced errors. Kostyuk reached two WTA 500 finals in San Diego and Stuttgart and the semifinal in Indian Wells.
Osaka broke twice in the second and fourth games to open up a 4-0 lead. Kostyuk pulled one break back in the fifth game and saved two break points to hold serve for 2-4. Osaka served out the first set 6-3 at love after 36 minutes.
Kostyuk served at 40% in the opening set and hit 5 winners to 15 unforced errors, including five double faults.
Osaka broke at love in the third game to take a 2-1 lead before the match was suspended by rain when the Japanese player was leading 3-1. Osaka went up a 4-1 lead with a double break in the fifth game. Kostyuk pulled one break back in the sixth game for 2-4. Osaka broke in the seventh game to take a 5-2 lead and served out on her first match point.
Osaka finished the match with 19 winners to 12 unforced errors.
“I am going into this match knowing that she has way more experience than me on clay. I feel like I am still a baby giraffe, like I am trying to learn my steps. I am just extremely humble. I want to learn from the match I played today and hopefully apply that”,said Osaka.
Osaka set up a third round match against 10th seed Daria Kasatkina. Osaka will meet Kasatkina for the first time since the 2018 Indian Wells final, where the Japanese player beat her Russian opponent 6-3 6-2 to clinch her first WTA Tour title.
Sara Errani and Elisabetta Cocciaretto rallied from one set down to reach the second round.
Errani came back from losing the first set to beat Amanda Anisimova 4-6 6-3 6-2 after 1 hour and 5 3 minutes.
Errani earned an early break to love in the first game of the opening set. Anisimova broke straight back at deuce to draw level to 1-1. Errani broke for the second time to take a 3-2 lead. Anisimova won three consecutive game with two breaks of serve to take a 5-3 lead. Errani saved three set points in the ninth game before breaking back for 5-4. Anisimova broke for the fourth time to win the first set 6-4.
Errani earned a break in the third game to take a 2-1 lead, but she missed two double break points in the fifth game. Errani broke at 30 in the seventh game to take a 5-2 lead and served out on her first set point after 38 minutes.
Anisimova held serve at 30 in the first game of the third set. Errani won seven consecutive points and converted her third break point in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Errain held serve at deuce in the fourth game before breaking serve at love in the fifth game to race out to a 5-1 lead. Errani earned three match points on return in the seventh game. Anisimova saved the first match point, bur Errani broke on her second opportunity the seal the 27-minute third set.
Errani set up a second round match against two-time Rome WTA 1000 champion Elina Svitolina.
Elisabetta Cocciaretto fought back from one set down to beat Mexican qualifier Renata Zarazua 4-6 7-5 6-3.
Zarazua broke twice in the third and fifth games to open up a 5-2 lead. Cocciaretto pulled one of the two breaks back to close the gap to 3-5, but Zaarazua saved four set points to close out the first set 6-4.
Both players traded breaks in the second and third games of the second set. Cocciaretto broke for the second time in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead and saved two break points to hold serve for 5-2. Zarazua pulled back on serve in the 10th game to draw level to 5-5. Cocciaretto broke for the third time in the 12th game to win the second set 7-5.
Cocciaretto broke serve in the second game to take a 2-0 lead. Zarazua won three consecutive games with two breaks to take a 3-2 lead. Cocciaretto won the final four games to win the third set 6-3.
Cocciaretto set up a re-match against Caroline Garcia, who beat her Italian opponent 6-1 3-6 7-5 in Rouen.