Naomi Osaka will not be participating in this year’s Cincinnati main draw after suffering an unexpected defeat to Ashlyn Krueger in the qualifying final round. On Sunday, the former top-ranked player made her first appearance in the qualifying matches since 2018 and had a successful start by defeating Anna Blinkova with a score of 6-2, 2-6, 6-2. However, today, the four-time Grand Slam champion was unable to secure consecutive victories as Krueger, ranked 82nd in the world, handed her a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 loss in just over ninety minutes of play.
Throughout the match, both players had opportunities to break their opponent’s serve. Krueger had a total of thirteen break points and managed to convert four of them, while Osaka capitalized on three of her eight break point chances. In the first set, Krueger broke Osaka’s serve in the third and ninth games, ultimately winning the set. It is worth noting that the American player saved a break point in the fifth game and three additional break points in the eighth game.
After losing the first set, Osaka quickly recovered by breaking Krueger’s serve in the first and seventh games of the second set, taking a comfortable 5-2 lead. Serving for the set in the eighth game, the Japanese player faced four break points but successfully saved them all before securing the set with her first set point.
With the match tied at one set apiece, Osaka started the third set strongly by earning an early break and taking a 3-1 lead. However, just when it seemed that Osaka had gained the momentum, she unexpectedly lost her serve in consecutive games, allowing Krueger to win five games in a row and ultimately claim victory in the three-set match against the four-time Grand Slam champion.
Following her early exits in Toronto last week and Cincinnati, Osaka will likely return to the practice court to address any areas that need improvement. Her preparation for the upcoming US Open has not been ideal.
Photo from Naomi Osaka Instagram
