Naomi Osaka reached the French Open second round for the first time in three years with a gritty victory over Italy's Lucia Bronzetti on Sunday, setting up a potential clash against world No 1 Iga Swiatek.
Osaka, who took a 16-month break from tennis in September 2022 to start a family, blew hot and cold in the first match on Court Philippe Chatrier of the 2024 tournament but persevered to secure a 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 win.
She will next face her fellow four-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek – if the Pole sees off Leolia Jeanjean on Monday.
The pair have only played each other twice before, with their last meeting being a Swiatek victory in the 2022 Miami Open final.
Sunday was Osaka's first win in a Grand Slam match since the 2022 Australian Open, after losing in the French Open and US Open opening rounds that year and at Melbourne Park earlier this season.
The Japanese star has never reached the second week at Roland Garros, with all of her major titles coming on the hard courts of Melbourne and New York.
She also withdrew from the tournament in 2021 to protect her mental health after being fined for opting out of mandatory media commitments.
Osaka, who is currently the world number 134 as she steadily makes her way back up the rankings, was in fine form early on against Bronzetti, wrapping up a dominant first set after just 26 minutes with an ace.
She did not face a break point until she dropped serve in the 10th game of the second set as the match went into a decider.
The former world No 1 quickly regained control, reeling off the first four games of the third.
But Osaka missed a break point for a 5-0 lead and then fell apart as Bronzetti powered back, recovering the two breaks and moving 5-4 ahead.
The 26-year-old Osaka managed to gather herself, though, breaking again in the 11th game before taking her first match point when Bronzetti netted a forehand.
Elsewhere, Carlos Alcaraz dispelled injury fears as he eased past JJ Wolf and into the second round.
The Spanish world No 3 had been a doubt for Roland Garros after he pulled out of the Italian Open with an issue with his forearm.
But the two-time major winner dropped just four games against American Wolf. Wearing a protective sleeve on his right arm, the 21-year-old Wimbledon champion hit five aces and 27 winners in a convincing 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 victory on Court Philippe Chatrier.
He said: “I’m really happy to be back here in Paris to compete again, it’s been a very difficult month for me because I love competing.
“I’ve tried everything I could to be at 100 per cent here at Roland Garros to show my best tennis, and I think I did that today.
“I would have loved to have played more matches but I don’t need too many matches to get to 100 per cent. I did really good preparation this past two weeks and practices with top players. My forearm is getting better and better.”
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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
bundesliga results
Mainz 0 Augsburg 1 (Niederlechner 1')
Schalke 1 (Caligiuri pen 51') Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Miranda og 81')
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
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if you go
The flights
Fly direct to Kutaisi with Flydubai from Dh925 return, including taxes. The flight takes 3.5 hours. From there, Svaneti is a four-hour drive. The driving time from Tbilisi is eight hours.
The trip
The cost of the Svaneti trip is US$2,000 (Dh7,345) for 10 days, including food, guiding, accommodation and transfers from and to Tbilisi or Kutaisi. This summer the TCT is also offering a 5-day hike in Armenia for $1,200 (Dh4,407) per person. For further information, visit www.transcaucasiantrail.org/en/hike/
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
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