Osaka has clay court plan after Madrid defeat
Naomi Osaka said she has a better plan for coping with clay after she suffered a secondround exit at the Madrid Open on Sunday (Monday in Manila), the Japanese second seed losing 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 to Karolina Muchova.
Elsewhere, two-time Madrid champion Simona Halep held off a late fightback from China's Zheng Saisai to win 6-0, 6-4 but Victoria Azarenka is out, after she withdrew from her second round match against Jessica Pegula with a back injury.
Osaka, the reigning US and Australian Open champion, has seven career hardcourt titles but has never managed to lift a claycourt trophy.
Playing her first clay-court event since the 2019 French Open, Osaka beat compatriot Misaki Doi in the first round but she came unstuck against Muchova, who is making her top 20 debut this week.
"I have a pretty positive outlook on it," said Osaka after the match.
"I can control my attitude and how hard I fought and for me, I thought I did really well. Physically, I don't think I got tired. I just made some pretty bad decisions pointwise in really crucial moments.
"So I think I'll learn from that and hopefully — I don't really want to play her on clay anymore — but maybe next time we play, I'll make better decisions.”
Osaka is bidding to win a third consecutive major title at the
French Open next month but has never previously made it past the third round in Paris.
"These tournaments are called warm-up tournaments and of course we all come here to win and do well at these tournaments too but I would prefer to peak at the French as opposed to winning this tournament and then kind of going downhill," Osaka said.