Naomi Osaka made a winning start at the 2024 Italian Open, and her reward is facing the always-tricky Marta Kostyuk in the second round.
The Japanese player hasn't played much on clay this year, but she's improved every time she stepped on the court. That's quite important because it actually shows that she can be good on the surface; she just needs more matches and time on the courts.
Kostyuk played a bit better on clay this year compared to Osaka, but she's spent far more time on these types of courts as well. She's still a very volatile player, though, one that can be both great and pretty bad depending on the day.
It will be a very interesting match, probably a close battle, so let's look at who might win.
Osaka and Kostyuk have played against each other before. Their only match happened at the 2020 US Open, in which Osaka barely won. Obviously, it can go either way.
The Ukrainian likes to play attacking tennis, and that's the case with the former world no. 1 as well. They will trade blows on the court, and whoever has a better day will win.
Nothing in the matchup might swing it one way or another. Kostyuk can trade blows with Osaka, but she's probably not as stable in rallies. The serve is obviously a better weapon for the 26-year-old.
| Naomi Osaka | Marta Kostyuk | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | H2H | 0 |
| 173 | Rank | 20 |
| 26 | Age | 21 |
| 10-8 | 2024 W/L | 19-8 |
| 275-156 | Career W/L | 199-116 |
Osaka is enjoying her time in Rome, and she looked really solid in that opening match. I think she'll carry that momentum into the second match and beat Kostyuk, for whom this will be the first match in the Italian capital this year.
Prediction: Naomi Osaka to win in two sets.