Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka will not play the WTA 1,000 in Rome despite being included in the final draw. This Monday the WTA confirmed that Osaka had given up competing in the Roman tournament due to an injury to her left ankle.
In this way, Osaka gives up her place in the final table to the Spanish Nuria Párrizas, who fell in the previous round of the tournament and who will enter the draw as a ‘lucky loser’. Thus Párrizas will face another Spanish tennis player, Sara Sorribes, who had been framed with Osaka (whom he already won at the Mutua Madrid Open) after the draw was held.
The one from Osaka has not been the only loss that we have known this Monday in the women’s draw, since the Danish Clara Tauson has also given up competing due to a lower back injury. Her place in the final table will be occupied by the American Madison Brengle who, like Párrizas, will enter as a ‘lucky loser’.
Azarenka, Halep and Kasatkina do not fail
Some of the favorites who have entered the fray this Monday at the WTA 1,000 in Rome have not left room for surprises. This is the case of the Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, who beat Swiss Viktorija Golubic 6-3, 6-0 in just over an hour. Vika, who was good on serve and even more solid on return (achieved 6 of the 8 break balls she had), will now face the winner of the match between Colombian Maria Camila Osorio and Italian Lucia Bronzetti in the second round.
Nor was he surprised Simona Halep who, little by little, seems to be reuniting with her best version. The Romanian advanced to the second round after beating the French Alizé Cornet by a double 6-4 in a match in which Halep was very firm on serve and very incisive on return, achieving up to 6 breaks. In the second round Halep will have a demanding test against the American Danielle Collins, seventh favorite for the title.
Russian Daria Kasatkina will also be in the second round, who beat Slovenian Tamara Zidansek 6-4, 6-3. Kasatkina pulled with a claw to save 8 of 12 break balls she had to face while being able to endorse her 7 of the nine she had. In the second round Kasatkina could be seen with her compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or with the Canadian Leylah Fernández.