Naomi Osaka finally found something on the tennis court, hoping to make it three in a row at the 2024 Qatar Open in Doha.
Before touching down in Qatar, Osaka had only one win this year to her name. It came at the Brisbane International, where she nearly made it two but ultimately ended up on only one.
The Australian Open campaign was another early exit, as was Abu Dhabi last week, which left her quite disappointed. On the other hand, her campaign in Doha has been going really well so far.
She bested Caroline Garcia in the opening round and then added another win in the second round. It's the first time Osaka has won back-to-back matches since 2022, and now she has a chance to make it three in a row.
She faces a tricky player in Lesia Tsurenko, though. The Ukrainian showed she can play well. She bested Ons Jabeur in the previous round, so it won't be easy.
Head-to-head:
They've played a few times so far, and Osaka leads the H2H 2-1, though Tsurenko won their most recent match back in 2019. It's been a long time since then, but it's pretty clear that the Ukrainian can win in this matchup. She's a pretty good hitter from the baseline, and Osaka certainly hasn't been that consistent.
| Naomi Osaka | Lesia Tsurenko | |
| 2 | H2H | 1 |
| 743 | Rank | 37 |
| 26 | Age | 34 |
| 3-3 | 2024 W/L | 3-3 |
| 266-151 | Career W/L | 504-323 |
Prediction:
The Japanese player has been consistent at this event but hasn't been this year overall, so it's kind of hard to determine what is real. Obviously, her most recent performances show consistency.
One thing that could swing it into her favor is the serve because she's been serving really well at this event. If she can keep Tsurenko away from many chances with her serve, she'll have a very good chance to win.
Prediction: Naomi Osaka to win in two sets.
0 Comments