Osaka battles into US Open third round after gritty win over Siniakova

Naomi Osaka survived a turbulent second set to defeat Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 and reach the third round of the US Open at Flushing Meadows.

Early dominance, then a dip

Osaka raced through the opening set, taking a 6-2 lead without facing a break point. She entered the second set with a 4-2 advantage, but unforced errors began to mount, 20 in the second set compared with four in the first, allowing the doubles world number one to claw back.

"I think on my end it was more, like, mentally I wanted to play perfectly," Osaka said after the match.

At 5-3 in the second set, Osaka served for the match but was broken, and Siniakova rallied to force a decider. Osaka admitted she berated herself after poor shots, even striking the edge of her racquet on the court.

Regaining control in the third set

In the final set Osaka snapped out of her slump, breaking early to lead 3-0 and later fending off two break points to go up 4-1. She secured another break to seal the set and the match.

"In the third set, I just tried to do what I could do, and thankfully I was able to win," she reflected. "I had moments where I dipped, definitely. I was really hard on myself, and it made me over‑analyse the situation."

What’s next for the champion

Osaka’s next opponent is Belgium’s Elise Mertens, who beat Maria Timofeeva 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) in the second round. A win would set up a potential clash with one of the tournament’s other top seeds and keep Osaka’s title defence alive.

Her performance will be watched closely, as the ability to bounce back from self‑criticism could be decisive in the weeks ahead.