BEVERLY HILLS, May 12, (THEWILL) –Â The Italian Open in Rome was unforgiving to two of female tennis biggest names as Japanese world number two Naomi Osaka suffered her second straight defeat on clay by losing to Jessica Pegula in the second round and American Serena Williams could not go past Nadia Podoroska on Wednesday.
Osaka, who has often struggled on clay, displayed an uncharacteristic lack of confidence against a more assured Pegula and it did not improve the more the match went on. The American world number 31, Pegula, took the victory 7-6 (7-2) 6-2.
The game began with a tight opener where the world number two missed three set points. The characteristic composed Osaka was absent and the 23-year-old’s level dropped in the second, easily allowing Pegula to assume control, which she accepted gracefully.
The American was an example of focus and discipline, two qualities she needed to take advantage of Osaka’s increasingly wayward hitting in the second set. The 27-year-old broke Osaka’s serve for 4-2 and as Osaka walloped a wild volley wide, Pegula sealed the biggest win of her career, so far.
It sealed Osaka’s dismal performance on the surface as this succeeds her second-round loss at the Madrid Open earlier this mont. Although it is two and a half weeks before the start of the French Open, the biggest clay court stage, it will be unfortunate for anyone to rule out the Japanese player’s great potential to shine at Roland Garros.
The same can be said of Williams, who was on the 1,000th match of a brilliant and iconic career against Argentina’s Nadia Podoroska, who was a surprise French Open semi-finalist last year.
A career that had fetched the 39-year-old American a dizzying and breathtaking 23 Grand Slams was still going ever strong at the 1,000th match, which was Williams’ first competitive action after her emotional ouster at the Australian Open semi-final in February by Osaka.
Williams lost in straight sets to another player getting the biggest win of her career yet, with Podoroska keeping her nerve to edge out the serial champion and make her to lose her 1,000th match 7-6(6), 7-5.
Williams will be consoled by the fact that she did not play a terrible match, which is good news for her preparation ahead of Roland Garros. Podoroska played an inspired match, as many players often do against Williams, as she herself has admitted on occasion, that every player is extra-motivated against her.
That is what one gets at the stage of playing for the thousandth time.
Podoroska will face the Croatian Petra Martic in the round of 16
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
