Picture Credit: Twitter
The first Grand Slam of the year Australia Open 2022 kicked off in style on January 17. The mightiest of the game were seen in action and much to everyone's expectation, the tennis court produced some incredible face-off and a bit of drama. The defending champion Naomi Osaka started the campaign in style as she maintained her consistent performance of not losing a match in the 1st round.
Naomi Osaka, the current world No. 14, began her title defense with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Colombia's Camila Osorio in the first round of the 2022 Australian Open. The match marked the beginning of a new Grand Slam season for defending champion, who was considering taking a break from the sport after the 2021 U.S. Open. Osaka went up 5-0 in the first set on Sunday before Osorio pushed back, eventually closing the set out 6-3 in 31 minutes. Osorio kept things closer early in the second set, keeping on Osaka's tail until the former world No. 1 was up 4-3, then went on to win 6-3.
During the match, an unintended forehand return from the Japanese almost crashed into the chair umpire. Osaka immediately realized the intensity of her shot and was heard apologizing immediately. The video footage of the incident showed the umpire was taken aback as she narrowly escaped. However, the umpire responded with a humble smile.
Osaka started her 2022 campaign at the Melbourne Summer Set two weeks ago, where she successfully qualified for the semifinals. However, an abdomen injury forced her to withdraw from the event.