(Reuters) – With all the eye nonetheless firmly on world primary Ash Barty’s abrupt retirement, the present carried on at the Miami Open, as Naomi Osaka recorded a 6-3 6-4 first-spherical win over Australia’s Astra Sharma on Wednesday.
Barty, a 3-time Grand Slam winner and twice champion in Miami, introduced she was retiring from tennis at age 25, simply two months after she picked up her third main title at residence in Australia, gorgeous opponents at the Masters 1000 match.
“I really feel actually completely happy for her. I do know final 12 months was fairly powerful,” Osaka informed reporters after her victory at what she calls her “residence match,” the place her thundering serve helped her make mild work of Sharma.
The Japanese energy-hitter subsequent faces three-occasions main winner Angelique Kerber of Germany, who had a primary-spherical bye.
Elsewhere within the day’s motion, Shelby Rogers outlasted fellow American Amanda Anisimova 3-6 6-0 6-3 to arrange a conflict with Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, whereas Czech Karolina Muchova beat compatriot Tereza Martincova 7-6(3) 7-6(3) regardless of producing a half-dozen double faults.
She will face 19-12 months-previous Canadian Leylah Fernandez within the second spherical, after the 2021 U.S. Open finalist superior on a bye.
On the lads’s facet, 20-12 months-previous wild card Jack Draper arrange an all-British second-spherical affair with world quantity 12 Cameron Norrie after warding off France’s Gilles Simon 7-5 6-1.
“I’ve performed so much with Cam within the UK. He’s one of many guys who has been nice with me as a younger Brit. I believe he is at all times supporting, at all times sending me messages,” stated Draper. “Hopefully I can provide him a run for his cash.”
Belgian David Goffin breezed by Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena 6-2 6-3 to fulfill Pablo Carreno Busta subsequent.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Toby Davis)
