Picture Credit: twitter/@WTA
Second seed Naomi Osaka picked up where she left off at last month's Australian Open, winning her first match since lifting the title in Melbourne. Osaka earned her place in the Miami Open third round on Friday with a hard-fought straight-sets victory over Australian Ajla Tomljanovic.
However, Australian Open runner-up Jennifer Brady was knocked out in the second round by 58th-ranked Sara Sorribes Tormo. Brady's defeat was the major surprise on Friday, with Sorribes Tormo fighting back from a set down to win.
Top 10 seeds Karolina Pliskova, Bianca Andreescu and Sofia Kenin also progressed, with the latter coming from a set behind to beat Andrea Petkovic.
Osaka continues winning run
Osaka extended her winning streak to 22 matches, although it was not easy against Tomljanovic. The Japanese got the edge 7-6 (7-3) 6-4, firing down 36 winners, including 13 aces in a match lasting one hour, 38 minutes.
"This is my first match since Australia, so I just really wanted to play well," Osaka said in her on-court post-match interview. "I kind of feel like I'm at home here, because I grew up [near here] for most of my life."
Tomljanovic did not go down without a fight but was let down by 24 unforced errors. Osaka will next face Serbian qualifier Nina Stojanovic in the third round.
