World number 59 Lucia Bronzetti beat Naomi Osaka 6-4 2-6 6-4 after 2 hours and 21 minutes in the first round of the Madrid Mutua Open earning the first win of her career over the former world number 1 and Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.
Osaka entered this match with a 2-0 lead in her previous head-to-head matches against Bronzetti, including a three-set win at Roland Garros in 2024.
Bronzetti has reached the second round in Madrid for the second year in a row.
Bronzetti bounced back from a second-round defeat against French teenager Tiantsoe Rakotomanga Rajaonoah at last week’s WTA 250 tournament in Rouen.
Osaka was playing her first match since losing to Jasmine Paolini in the fourth round of the Miami Open last March.
Osaka earned two break points in the fourth round of the first set. Bronzetti came back from 30-15 down by winning three consecutive points to break serve in the seventh game for 4-3. Bronzetti served out to win the first set 6-4.
Osaka converted her second break point in the second game to open up a 2-0 lead at the start of the second set. Bronzetti broke straight back at love in the third game. Osaka earned a second break in the fourth game and held serve at 15 to open up a 4-1 lead. The Japanese player saved four break points to hold serve after four deuces in the seventh game before breaking serve at 30 in the eighth game to win the second set 6-2.
Bronzetti converted her third break point in the first game of the third set and held serve at 15 to open up a 2-0 lead. Osaka converted her break back point in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Bronzetti earned the decisive break in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. Bronzetti saved three break points after four deuces in the eighth game and served out the win on her first match point when Osaka slipped as she was trying to reach a cross court shot.
Bronzetti set up a second round match against this year’s Australian Open champion Madison Keys.
“From the outside maybe it seems easy but when you’re on the court against a great champion like her it’s always difficult. I’m proud with how I managed the match. She hit the ball very strong… I tried to make some variation in my game like drop shot, I got a lot of points with that”, said Bronzetti.
