Osaka blazes past Zheng in Tokyo 2020 opener

Having lit the Olympic Cauldron to mark the start of Tokyo 2020 on Friday night, Naomi Osaka blazed through the first Olympic match of her career on Sunday, beating China’s Zheng Saisai 6-1 6-4.

The reigning Australian and US Open champion was making her first competitive appearance on court in almost two months, but played as if she had never been away, racing out to a 5-0 lead before easing to victory in one hour, 27 minutes.

Osaka took to Centre Court moments after world No. 1 Ash Barty had been stunned in her opening match by Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain – a timely reminder that ranking and reputation counts for little on such a unique stage as the Olympic Games.

But the 23-year-old, now the top-ranked player in the draw, opened with a nerve-steadying three aces from her first four serves to assume control at Ariake Tennis Park, playing with measure and control throughout the first set before introducing more power in the second.

Like Osaka, world No. 52 Zheng missed Wimbledon as the Chinese Olympic squad centred their focus on Tokyo, but while she came out on top of a string of cat-and-mouse rallies – at times drawing applause from the world No. 2 – she could not match Osaka’s movement and firepower.

A change of racquets before the second set appeared to help Zheng’s cause, but a break in the third game proved decisive. Osaka saw chances to wrap up the match pass her by at 5-3, but served out for an assured victory on her third match point, ending the match with 17 winners – including six aces – to her opponent's seven.

Next up for Osaka is Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic, the first player to post a win at Tokyo 2020 after dispatching Colombia’s Maria Camila Osorio Serrano in under an hour on Saturday. After her match, Osaka addressed the press and revealed she had been selected to light the Olympic Cauldron in March, around the time of the Miami Open.

“I was definitely very, very happy and honoured,” she said.