LONDON: Former world number one Naomi Osaka returned to Wimbledon after a five-year absence and navigated a tricky first-round match against France’s Diane Parry on Monday, winning 6-1 1-6 6-4 with the help of nervous serving from her opponent.
The 26-year-old Japanese, who entered the draw as a wildcard, looked to be in total command in the first set as her hefty groundstrokes struck the lines and her big serve continually forced Parry on to the back foot.
But Osaka, who returned to the tour this year after 15 months of maternity leave, appeared to lose concentration and rhythm in the second set and 21-year-old Parry, ranked 53, took advantage.
“I wish I could say I enjoyed (the match) all the time,” Osaka, who has won both the U.S. and Australian Opens twice, said in an interview on court. “My heart was racing.” The match see-sawed into the third set with the players trading breaks at the start.
Osaka saved break points in a difficult ninth game to lead 5-4 before Parry’s serve crumbled and she produced three double faults to concede the match. “I feel like these are the type of matches that you kind of have to play just in order to ease into the tournament,” Osaka said after thanking the crowd for getting behind her.
Osaka was followed on to Court Two by another former Grand Slam champion as American Sloane Stephens reached the second round with a 6-3 6-3 defeat of France’s Elsa Jacquemot. Stephens, who won the U.S. Open in 2017, had been due to face twice Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka but the Belarus player withdrew because of a shoulder injury.
There was also success for another former U.S. Open winner trying to rediscover her old spark as Canada’s Bianca Andreescu beat Romanian Jaqueline Cristian in straight sets.