(Melbourne) Former world No.1 Naomi Osaka (current 17^e in the WTA rankings) qualified Tuesday in three sets for the second round of the Australian Open.

Crowned in Melbourne in 2019 and 2021, the Japanese won 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 against the Croatian Antonia Ruzic (65^e).

“It was really complicated because it was the first round,” said the winner at a press conference.

“But overall, I don’t think I played badly. I think I played a pretty good match and I’m relieved that my serve allowed me to get out of trouble,” she added.

The four-time Grand Slam winner will play in the next round against Romanian Sorana Cirstea (41^e), who started the last Australian Open of her career at age 35 by eliminating the German Eva Lys (39^e).

Entering the court with a white umbrella, a hat and a long white train, Osaka started the match with her feet on the ground to quickly lead 3-0.

Ruzic recovered to 3-3 before again losing three games in a row and the first set.

The Croatian responded in the second round, winning by the same score.

In the decisive set, Osaka broke from the start to break away at 2-0, but Ruzic came back to her level again before taking her throw in to lead 4-3, service to follow.

This time it was the Japanese who held on to get back to 4-4, before inflicting a shutout then a new break on Ruzic to seal her qualification with a final winning backhand, after almost 2 hours 30 minutes of fighting.

At the end of the match, “I tried to change a few things. I knew she had a very good backhand (so) I tried to play more on her forehand. I tried to be a little more solid and speed up (the exchange) when I could,” Osaka explained.

The Japanese played her first Grand Slam match on Tuesday since her semi-final at the United States Open in September, her best run in a major tournament since she returned to the circuit in early 2024 after the birth of her first child.

Asked about the spectacular outfit she wore as she entered the court, Osaka said it was inspired by the shape of a jellyfish and that the butterflies on her hat and parasol were a nod to a photo of her taken in Melbourne in 2021, the year of her second Australian Open title.

“This kind of thing requires months of preparation: you have to check the design, if you are able to walk” with such an imposing outfit, Osaka stressed.

“What scared me the most was that the umbrella was too wide for the tunnel” providing access to the court. “I hit a few panels” in the said tunnel “but I think it worked well,” rejoiced the former world No.1, keen on fashion and accustomed to original Grand Slam outfits.

The defending champion continues

Defending champion Madison Keys beat Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova 7-6 (6), 6-1 in the first round.

Keys, seeded No. 9, found herself in difficulty on the Rod Laver Arena court, trailing 4-0 in the first set.

Oliynykova, playing her first Grand Slam main draw match, also led 4-0 in a tiebreaker.

However, she missed two set points, giving Keys the opportunity to win the set.

The first round lasted 1 hour and 12 minutes, while the second was completed in half an hour.

Oliynykova destabilized Keys, especially in the first set, with high lobs that forced the American back far behind the baseline.

The Ukrainian’s solid defense and atypical play allowed her to stay in the match.

However, she was gradually overwhelmed by Keys’ power and rhythm.

“I was nervous at first,” Keys admitted. Oleksandra is a fierce competitor, she definitely made things difficult for me. I am very happy to have turned the tide and continued on my way. »

Ninth in the world, Keys takes part in a 50^e major tournament, including 12 appearances at the first stage of the Grand Slam.

Since losing to Zheng Jie in 2012, she has won 11 consecutive first-round matches in Melbourne.

Furthermore, Elena Rybakina (no. 5) triumphed, as did the Swiss Belinda Bencic (no. 10), who began her journey by defeating Katie Boulter 6-0, 7-5. However, two more seeds fell on the third day of activities at Melbourne Park. They are the Canadian Leylah Annie Fernandez and the Australian Maya Joint.

Then, the 2017 US Open champion, Sloane Stephens, was beaten 7-6 (7), 6-2 by Karolina Pliskova, before Australian Maddison Inglis barely defeated her compatriot Kimberly Birrell 7-6 (6), 6-7 (9) and 6-4.