NAOMI Osaka upset No. 4 seed Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-4 in the first round at the Libema Open, notching her first win on grass since 2019 on Tuesday in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.
Osaka, the former World No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion from Japan, fired seven aces and saved the only break point she faced against Belgium’s Mertens in the 69-minute victory.
In other action involving seeded players, No. 1 Jessica Pegula defeated Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2, 6-2 and No. 3 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia was a 6-3, 6-4 winner against Australia’s Arina Rodionova. Sixth-seeded Yuan Yue of China rallied for a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Russia’s Diana Shnaider. A match between eightth-seeded Magda Linette and Robin Montgomery was suspended at 5-5 in the third set. Linette took the first set 7-6 (4), and Robinson claimed the second set 6-3.
