TOKYO – Japan’s Naomi Osaka won in straight sets on her highly-anticipated return to court at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday, while world number one Ashleigh Barty crashed out in the first round.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic continued his quest for a historic Golden Grand Slam as he moved past Hugo Dellien 6-2, 6-2 to reach the second round.
Osaka, the star of the opening ceremony, defeated China’s Zheng Saisai 6-1, 6-4 in her first match since taking an eight-week break for mental health reasons.
“I feel like more than anything I’m just focused on playing tennis. Playing the Olympics has been a dream of mine since I was a kid,” said Osaka, chosen as the first tennis player to light the Olympic cauldron on Friday.
“I feel like the break that I took was very needed, but I feel definitely a little bit refreshed and happy again.” Elsewhere, Barty fell a double break behind at 1-4 in the opening set and failed to convert two points to level in the eighth game as Sorribes Tormo held firm.
The pair exchanged breaks to begin the second set, but Barty wilted on another hot day in Tokyo and Sorribes Tormo won the final four games to advance.
Djokovic has won the first three major championships of the year and drew level with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20 Grand Slam titles after triumphing at Wimbledon.
Only WTA Tour legend Stefanie Graf has won a gold medal and all four majors in one season, achieving this in 1988.
Djokovic did not face a break point against the Bolivian as he advanced in 63 minutes. The 34-year-old will next face big-hitter Jan-Lennard Struff after the German triumphed against Brazilian Thiago Monteiro 6-3, 6-4.
Daniil Medvedev had to work hard, but he advanced to the second round with a 6-4, 7-6(8) victory against Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik.
The second seed saved three of the four break points he faced to triumph after one hour and 38 minutes. The ROC’s Medvedev now leads the pair’s ATP Head2Head series 3-0, and he has won all seven of their sets.
The World No. 2 will next play Indian Sumit Nagal, who outlasted Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-4. This is Medvedev’s first appearance in the Olympics.
Aslan Karatsev also advanced as he defeated American Tommy Paul 6-3, 6-2 in 76 minutes.
The World No. 24 won 87 per cent (27/31) of his first-service points to set up a meeting with Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, who overcame Chilean Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera 6-1, 7-6(4).
The 16th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina was in action, and he ousted Portugal’s Pedro Sousa 6-3, 6-0.
The Spaniard will try to maintain his level against Aussie John Millman, who eliminated Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-4.
There were also wins for France’s Ugo Humbert, Italian Fabio Fognini, and Croatian Marin Cilic.
Humbert beat Spaniard Pablo Andujar 7-6(3), 6-1, while Fognini downed Japan’s Yuichi Sugita 6-4, 6-3. Cilic saved one match point to overcome Brazilian Joao Menezes 6-7(5), 7-5, 7-6(7).
