Osaka grinds past Lamens amid injury scare
Naomi Osaka overcame a tense three-setter and a painful leg twinge to dethrone defending champion Suzan Lamens, securing her spot in the Kinoshita Group Japan Open quarterfinals on home soil.
Under the evening lights of the Kinoshita Group Japan Open, Naomi Osaka faced a formidable test from defending champion Suzan Lamens on the hard courts of Tokyo. The top seed emerged victorious in a 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-2 thriller, her powerful baseline game clashing with the Dutch player’s steady aggression. Yet the match’s drama peaked in the third set when an injury scare forced Osaka to summon every ounce of resilience to close it out.
Early exchanges test Osaka’s resolve
Osaka dictated the opening set with deep inside-out forehands that pinned Lamens behind the baseline, forcing defensive crosscourt replies. The Dutchwoman responded with sharp returns and occasional underspin slices to disrupt the rhythm, stretching the set to a tiebreak. There, Lamens saved three set points before a net cord favored Osaka, who sealed it with a commanding serve to claim the edge in a high-stakes psychological duel.
Lamens surged in the second set, varying her serves to pull Osaka wide and extend points into scrambling defenses. The world No. 1’s unforced errors mounted as the defender leveled the match with consistent depth, her one–two combinations exploiting any hesitation. The home crowd’s murmurs grew louder, amplifying the pressure on a player rebuilding her mental fortitude amid a demanding season.
“It was definitely really difficult -- I’m kind of sorry about my attitude,” Osaka said in an on-court interview that had to be cut short due to her leg pain.
Injury forces tactical shift
Osaka elevated her game in the decider, firing aggressive inside-in forehands to wrong-foot Lamens and race to a 5-0 lead. But with the Dutchwoman serving at 30-15, Osaka pulled up sharply on her left thigh, grimacing as Lamens sent a backhand wide. She held for 5-1, then called for a medical timeout at 40-30, returning with her leg strapped and movement visibly limited.
Adapting to the pain, Osaka leaned on first-strike tennis, shortening rallies with down-the-line winners to bypass extended exchanges. Two match points slipped away at 5-1—a double fault followed by a netted backhand—but she converted the third on return with a blistering backhand winner. The arena erupted as she limped off, her composure under duress highlighting the physical toll of her explosive style on these fast hard courts.
Victory bolsters Tokyo momentum
This hard-fought win adds vital points to Osaka’s tally, reinforcing her No. 1 ranking in a competitive year-end push. Lamens, who had thrived on these courts last season, couldn’t sustain her early challenge once Osaka dialed up the intensity. Fans can follow the scores, draws, and order of play to track her path forward, where recovery will be key to a deep run.
Osaka’s ability to compartmentalize the scare speaks to a maturing mindset, turning adversity into drive on familiar territory. Blending topspin drives with slice approaches, she disrupted Lamens’ baseline steadiness, exposing the gap in their power games. As she eyes the quarterfinals, this match underscores her blend of athleticism and introspection, promising more intensity in Tokyo’s crisp autumn air.
